The Island
by catmrib
Summary: Alec is strapped for cash and gets a two-month job on a ship. It's not ideal but it pays well and he needs the money, so he takes it. He did not expect that halfway through his job, they would be overtaken by a large storm, and that he would somehow end up on a strange, deserted island with only one mysterious man on it... little does he know that he is a part of a merman ritual..
1. Chapter 1

**Hey! So I'm back after half a year, I've finally got a new story to post here. As usual, thank you to my wonderful beta reader who helped plot out the story and write a considerable part of it. This would not exist without her, I can tell you that much!**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoy the first chapter of this story!**

Alec woke up to people yelling. He was at the very edge of his small bed, the floor unsteady under his feet as he stood up. There was an alarm somewhere, blaring through every room so loud Alec could barely hear his own thoughts. He had to get up, had to find out what was going on.

"In there, we need to stabilize the ship!"

"I need help here, at least two!"

"Wake up everyone, we need all!"

The voices were everywhere and Alec looked around, the ship was waving from one side to the other, people were running around. Alec didn't know what to do, people were running in all directions and nobody stopped to tell him what was happening. Alec stood as frozen for a minute before, finally, a man came to him and patted his shoulder. "Over there, get to the ropes"

Alec immediately started moving, and he took in everything around him as he got to work. The people running around, the water on the boat, inside the boat. Something was wrong, very wrong. Alec didn't know much about boats, he knew nothing about boats. But he knew how to follow orders, so he did just that. Alec had just reached the rope he should when another wave hit them. Alec was soaking wet immediately but he gripped the rope and held it tightly just like the man next to him. Alec closed his eyes and held on tight to the rope. For a moment, he thought of praying, but he never got around to it when they were hit yet another time, this time all Alec could hear were screams. The next thing he knew was that there was water everywhere. All around him. He tried to swim, tried to find a light to aim towards, anything. But there was nothing, no one. Alec was all alone in a big, dark ocean and in his panic, he took a deep breath and he could feel his lungs fill up. He tried to hold his breath, he tried to swim but he started coughing and water filled his mouth and nose, and it was all around him and Alec was suffocating. He'd always thought he'd think of his siblings, in his last moments, but the only thing he could think of as his eyes slipped shut, was the fear and the water, surrounding him on all sides and slowly pulling him further and further down.

* * *

Alec was warm and wet. Breathing hurt, burned like fire. He could feel his clothes stick to his skin like he'd just run a mile, he could feel every individual bead of sweat — or was it water? — run down his skin. Where was he? He could feel the ground under him, but… it didn't feel quite like a solid floor. It was more like gravel, like… sand.

Where was he? Alec forced his eyes open, but had to close them again immediately. It was too bright. He raised his hand to his face, and it felt heavy, his fingers dorment. He slowly tried to open his eyes again, this time more careful. The sun was shining brightly, based on its position in the sky, it was probably late morning or early afternoon. The sky was blue, not a single cloud in sight. Alec looked around, and saw only sand and sea forever. At the sight of the water Alec suddenly remembered and he quickly sat up, he reached for his throat and then patted down over his chest. He was still alive, how was he still alive? Alec could remember that he was drowning and yet he was here, on this beach. Alive. How had he gotten here?

Alec looked around, trying to figure out where exactly he had ended up. If he had washed up here, surely other people had that luck as well. And if he could find a city or town nearby, he could get on another boat, or a plane if he could find the money to afford that. He wondered what had happened to the boat he was on. He remembered being under the water, he remembered gripping the rope, but… he didn't remember how he'd fallen into the water. Did the boat turn over, or was it just a wave that threw him off? Was the boat still out there? How many people had fallen into the water? Alec remembered he'd seen people, but maybe they had been saved. Maybe they had been pulled back into the boat.

It took Alec a little but eventually, he got onto his knees and then stood up before he took a few wobbly steps, he felt light headed and walking in sand wasn't as easy as walking on a flat surface. He needed water, and he needed other people, someone he would ask about where he was.

"Hello! Is anyone out there?" Alec called, his voice rough and throat itching. He wondered how long he'd been out. It had to be twelve hours at least, since it was in the middle of the day. But what if it had been days? What if he'd landed on some tiny little island where no one lived? Alec felt himself start to panic, but pushed the feelings away. He had no reason to believe that. At least not yet. He looked down at his clock. 02.13 AM, it showed. It had to be stuck. Alec looked around and kept moving forward, there was so much water around, Alec feared that there wasn't a way to get off this place. His only hope was to find someone who could help him, but after almost half an hour without a sign of human life, Alec was starting to lose his hopes.

"Hello?" he tried again before he coughed a few times and eventually sank down onto his knees. And then he heard it. A beautiful, soft voice from behind him.

"Hello, darling. Are you lost?" It sounded like the man was laughing at him. Alec turned around to look at him and almost lost his breath. The man was beautiful, only wearing a sort of cloth around his hips and nothing else. Alec nodded at the man's question.

"My boat… my colleagues… Where am I?"

"You're at my island," the man replied. "There's no name for it, before you ask," he added.

"Your island? What do you mean? Are you… one of those rich people who buy personal islands?" Alec asked, frowning.

"No, I didn't buy a personal island. I grew up here," the man said. "Now, come on. Let's get you to my home and get you some water." He grabbed Alec's arm to pull him up and put it around his shoulder. He half helped, half dragged Alec along.

"Who are you? Where are we?"

"I told you, darling. My island. And my name is Magnus Bane. At your service." Alec looked at him curiously.

"You grew up here? Then surely other people live here too. You can't live here all alone."

"Don't think too much about it. I'll explain more later, for now, just come."

"You want me to just trust a strange man? You could be a serial killer for all I know."

"I can leave you here to starve if you want," Magnus said, raising an eyebrow at Alec. Alec realized he was right. He didn't have much of a choice. Magnus was the only person he'd met, and Alec... Alec needed food and water.

It didn't take them very long before they arrived at a small cabin. It looked nice, actually, but rustic and old, like something out of a shipwrecked movie.

"You live here?" Alec questioned.

"Yes, this is my place. Come on in."

A moment later Alec found himself inside the cabin. It looked wonderful. It had a rustic style, plants everywhere, a soft-looking bed in a corner, it was like a small studio.

"It is… quite nice," Alec agreed once he had looked around. "And you live here all by yourself?"

Magnus nodded. "Now I do, yeah. I lived with my mother, until she died. Now it's just me." Magnus pointed towards a bucket. "Fresh water there. There's a cup in the cupboard, feel free to have as much as you'd like. There's no food yet, but I'm going fishing later. You can come with me, or you can stay here and rest up."

Alec had been glancing at the bed, which looked like heaven to his sore muscles and tired body. "I… yes, I definitely think I should stay here. I'm so exhausted, I probably wouldn't be able to even get to the fishing spot," he said.

"Okay. Get some water and go to sleep. I can get you some clothes, but I don't know if they'll fit you. I can also wash yours for you. Either way, there's a lot that needs to be done so I have to get going. Just get settled down," Magnus said. "Also, if you're thinking of running once I'm gone, I think you should reconsider. The island is about a square mile, you can walk it all and see there's no one else here, but if you get lost… I might not stumble upon you again."

Alec nodded. He wasn't sure what to do yet. Of course he'd thought about it… run away once Magnus left. But Magnus was right. Alec didn't know the island, he couldn't risk getting lost. What was the worst thing that could happen? If Magnus decided to kill him, at least it would be quicker than starving to death.

"Good. I'll see you soon," Magnus said, waving before he quickly turned around and left. Alec saw him disappear into the jungle and turned back into the cabin. He grabbed a cup and filled it with water from the bucket. The water was warm, but it felt perfect as it ran down Alec's sore throat.. Alec felt much better immediately, and eyed the bed for only a moment before he got in on top of the covers and quickly drifted off.

* * *

Magnus was rather happy with Alec, he looked good, was healthy and he seemed to be strong. He was sure the committee would choose Magnus' option. He was on his way to show them right now, before the man could get suspicious. Not that it mattered much, he couldn't go anywhere where Magnus wouldn't find him. But of course, keeping him there willingly would be easier than having to trap him.

Magnus quickly made his way to the ocean, and once he was in till his neck, he started transforming, legs getting glued together before a blue coat of scales covered them, he liked that part because it always made him feel whole, like he was supposed to. It only took a minute for his tail to finish, and Magnus quickly set on his way to the deep. Under the water was where he belonged, and the few hours he'd just spent on land had convinced him of that. He hated the feeling of having legs and the sand was horrible, the sun was kind of nice but only for a short amount of time before it started to burn his skin. No, deep down in the water, where his people were, that was where he belonged.

Magnus soon spotted the corals, the colors of his home, and as he got closer he started seeing all the others, tails of all colors gleaming in the water.

Magnus soon arrived at the castle and quickly found the committee gathered in the main hall, waiting for everyone to report back on the human they'd found. The season had started two days ago and Magnus didn't expect to be the first one who presented a human.

"Magnus Bane. What do you have to show us?" Was how he was greeted, all eyes turning to him. They didn't have pictures, but they had shapes. The water memorized it and could replay it, acting like a hologram. In the middle of the room appeared an illusion of Alec, right after he'd been thrown off the boat. He was struggling, trying to find the right direction to swim in. The image stopped and another one appeared, Magnus holding Alec under his arms, swimming with him to the closest island. Alec's body was in a clear view, his strong muscles, wide shoulders, long, strong legs.

"His name is Alec," Magnus said. Not that it ever mattered to the committee."He is strong and healthy, and I think he could make a good sacrifice. Please consider him" One of the men, one with a dark purple tail, nodded.

"Come back on the 10th day and we'll see who gets chosen. Until then, we'd like to see some more pictures where he is awake." Magnus nodded.

"I'll take him swimming. Come down here and show you while he's sleeping."

"Good. Return to your position, Magnus Bane," the man said. Magnus nodded and then went back to the island to keep an eye on Alec.

* * *

Alec didn't know how long he'd slept, but judging by the sun it must have been a few hours. When he woke up, Magnus was still nowhere to be seen, so he decided to wait for him. He drank some more water and then sat down in front of the cabin. He somehow liked it there. It was lonely but apart from that it was a beautiful place. But soon he started getting hungry, and even though Magnus had said there was no food there, he started looking. The cupboard was empty save for a few cups and bowls. There was a drawer filled with knives, and if this hadn't been a deserted island, Alec might have been worried. But it made sense. There were probably wild animals here, and Magnus probably went hunting, and he needed to clean the fish.

Other than that there was the bucket with water, and there was the bed and the plants. Some of the plants had fruits, but with Alec's little knowledge on plants, he figured he'd rather wait around for Magnus to come back than risk getting poisoned.

It took longer than he had expected but finally Magnus showed up. Alec was starving and he hoped Magnus would have something to eat with him.

"Hello, Alec! Or Alexander?"

Alec nodded. "Yeah. But no one calls me that. Do you have any food?" Magnus chuckled, but nodded.

"I do. Hungry?"

"Starving, I thought you would never come back."

"I said I would. I wouldn't leave you here." Magnus flashed him a smile. "Come on, I was planning to roast the fish on the beach. There's a beautiful view of the sunset, and we could go swimming to freshen up."

"Yeah, yeah, that sounds great," Alec said, not caring about swimming as long as he got the fish.

They set on their way, Magnus carrying wood for the fire as well as a leather bag full with fish, and Alec was carrying blankets. Magnus said they were staying out till late and it got cold. The walk to the beach seemed much longer than it had been earlier, and Alec wondered if they were taking another way because he didn't recognize anything. Magnus wasn't even following a path, he just seemed to know exactly where to go.

Finally Alec spotted the sea in the distance, and they quickly arrived at the beach. Magnus sat down a bit away from the jungle and started making a fire. Alec was actually impressed with how quickly Magnus had the fire started and a minute after that the first fish were roasting. Alecs stomach grumbled at the smell, he was close to eating them raw. Magnus glanced over at him.

"Why don't you go see if you can find anything interesting by the shore while you wait?" he suggested.

"Interesting? What kind of interesting?"

"Could be anything. Seashells, plants, fish, crabs… anything that catches your attention. You're going to be here for a while, so you could bring it back to the cabin to make it more… home. For you."

"I'll be staying here for a while? What is that supposed to mean? Can't you call someone so they can send a boat to take me back to land?"

"Call someone? With what phone?"

"Surely you have some contact with the outer world. You must have a passport, an identity. You must have a boat here somewhere, something…" Magnus shook his head.

"It's just me, Alexander. And it's been like that for decades. I don't think that'll change any time soon."

"Then we'll build a raft. We've got plenty of wood, right? There has to be a way out of here."

"That storm that brought you here isn't an unusual thing in this place. If it brought down your ship, how much hope do you have on a raft? Give it a try if you want, but I'm not going with you. The fish is done." That ended the conversation as Alec quickly grabbed it, digging in with his bare hands and not even caring that it was scolding his fingers and mouth. He just needed food.

Alec ate three fish before he leaned back and looked at the stars. "So.. I am supposed to spend the rest of my life here… alone with you?"

"You'll get used to it," was all Magnus said. Alec wondered how he was doing this, more than 10 years alone on the island.

"Hey," Magnus called for his attention. "It'll get easier, I promise. And if there ever is a way of getting off the island, I'll make sure you're the first to know," Magnus said. Alec sighed but nodded.

"Are you still thinking of taking a swim? It's pretty dark…" he said after a moment.

"The water is still warm. There's nothing better than a midnight swim after a delicious meal."

"What about that waiting 20 minute rule?"

Magnus chuckled. "Right. I forgot the people on land have that rule. Feel free to wait if you want."

Magnus stood up. "While you wait, make sure to throw a log in the fire if it starts to disappear. If anything happens, just call for me."

Alec nodded and then watched Magnus get into the water. Alec had a clock on him, but it had frozen at 02.13, probably when he'd gone under. The sun was gone too, but the moon was high in the sky. But that didn't help Alec in telling time, so he went with his gut and what he thought was 20 minutes later, he threw a log into the fire and got up. Magnus was still in the water, Alec could see his head pop out from time to time. He spent a long time underwater, long enough for Alec to worry multiple times until suddenly he spotted him back up.

Alec crouched down by the shore and felt at the water with his hand. Magnus was right, it was pretty warm. Warmer than the air, which was getting chilly. Alec started taking off his shoes to join Magnus.

"Don't leave your clothes there!" He heard Magnus call suddenly. "You'll never find them again in the dark and they'll be taken away by the water through the night. Leave them by the fire," he said. Alec thought about that and then did as Magnus had told him, he undressed by the fire and then went to go into the water. It felt good. He stepped in into his knees, and the water was warm and Alec wanted to dive into it. Except it was dark, and he could barely see Magnus and he most certainly couldn't see the ground under the water. The memories from the day earlier came back, of the water pressing against him all around, filling his lungs, his mouth, his ears, burning his eyes and his chest… Alec pulled away from the water.

"What? It's not cold, why did you leave?" Magnus asked, getting out as well a few minutes later. Alec shrugged.

"Brought back memories," was his only reply.

"Oh. From the… accident?" Alec nodded, grabbing a blanket and wrapping it around himself. "There's a little lake in the middle of the island. Maybe we could start there," Magnus suggested. Alec nodded.

"Sure. Yeah. But not tonight."

"Okay. What do you say we head back? I only have one bed, so we'll have to sleep together for now. But tomorrow we can start making you your own cabin, so you have your own little space."

Alec nodded slowly. "Erm...yeah sure sound...sounds good," he mumbled. Magnus smiled.

"Good." He grabbed a log, one a little longer than the other ones, and put the tip in the fire, waiting for the flame to catch. Then he handed it to Alec. "Hold that for a moment, will you?" he didn't wait for an answer and quickly turned back to the fire. He kicked some sand over it, and the fire quickly died away. Magnus put the remaining wood and fish into each of their bags and then took the log - torch, from Alec. "Grab the blankets, let's go," he said and started walking. Alec, in fear of losing sight of him, quickly gathered the blankets and followed. It was a weird situation, especially when he thought that he would share the bed with this man later.

Alec could swear the way to the cabin kept changing. He considered that maybe they went to different parts of the beach, but even now as he was returning he couldn't recognize anything. Maybe that was because it was dark, and the only thing he could actually see, was the flame, which lighted up Magnus's head and back, and little more. Alec stumbled more times than he would like to admit, and he was glad he wasn't the one carrying the torch or he would probably have set the whole jungle on fire already.

Magnus put out the torch once they reached the cabin, and Alec squinted as he tried to adjust his eyes to the darkness.

"Do you expect me to see anything in here?" he asked as he blindly reached out for something that would help him. Alec heard Magnus chuckle and felt him grab his arm.

"Do you expect me to light a fire inside a cabin made of wood? Come on, you get used to it after a few nights." Magnus pulled him with him to the bed. "Take of your shoes, lay down."

"Lay down where?" he asked once he had taken off his shoes.

"Just anywhere on the bed. As long as you leave some space for me, it should be fine." Alec nodded, even though he doubted Magnus could see him in the dark. He probably just knew the cabin inside out. Alec felt with his hands and located the bed, then slowly got into it and made sure to curl up on one side of it, leaving plenty of space for Magnus. The bed wasn't big and so it didn't matter how far on the edge Alec was. When Magnus laid down too, their backs touched.

"Try to sleep. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow." Alec closed his eyes and took a deep breath, hoping he would just fall asleep. It didn't take long before he heard Magnus's breath even out and he knew he had drifted off. Alec stayed awake, memories of going under, of the entire day… he thought of his siblings, wondered if they had heard the news yet. He wondered if the ship was okay or if it had all gone under. What would his family think? He would never come back. Alec was glad that Magnus was there, at least he wasn't alone. But he felt alone. He was supposed to be on the ship for two months, and now… now he was stuck here for the rest of his life.

He wondered if his parents would feel guilty when they heard the news. He wondered if they would even care. Alec didn't want to, but he cried at the thought of never seeing his siblings again. Eventually, through his silent tears and despair, exhaustion took over and he fell asleep.

When Magnus woke him up, the sun was shining through a hole in the roof. Alec hadn't noticed it earlier, but he wondered what Magnus would do if it rained.

"Come on. I'm gonna show you the lake so you can clean yourself off, and then we're gonna go hunting," Magnus said as he shook him awake. Alec slowly sat up, looking around in the small cabin again. It wasn't a dream. It couldn't be, or Alec would have woken up a long time ago.

"What time is it?" Alec asked, looking down at his clock and seeing it was still stuck on 02.13.

"Six," Magnus said. "Come on, hurry up. The meat doesn't wait for you to wake up properly." Alec shook his head and stood up, head almost hitting the roof.

"Yeah, yeah. Let me just find my shoes…" He found them and quickly tied up the shoelaces before following Magnus out. Magnus handed him a knife, and Alec noticed he had a bow and arrow slung over his back. "I… do you have more of that?" he asked. "I'm better with that than with knives," he explained. Magnus raised an eyebrow.

"You know archery?"

Alec shrugged. "It was a hobby when I was a kid. I haven't done it in a while, but… I think I could get the hang of it pretty quickly again." Magnus hummed and nodded before sliding the bow and quiver off his shoulders. "I only have this one, but you take it. Let's see how good you are." Magnus started walking, again not following any path but not hesitating once. "We only hunt small animals, we don't have any way of storing the meat for a long time and we don't want to waste anything. If you see any big animals, don't move, don't breathe. Don't anything. They'll go away eventually. If you run, they'll hunt you down and you'll be dead in minutes," Magnus warned.

"Is it ever winter here?" asked Alec, thinking about the need to hunt big animals for the fur. It would also be possible to store the meat in the winter, when it was cold. But Magnus shook his head.

"It does, but we barely notice it. It gets a bit colder, but not much. The days are a bit shorter, the water doesn't stay warm all night. But otherwise, no."

"Where exactly are we? I mean, in what part of the world? The ship went don't in the North Atlantic, surely I can't have drifted that far away to be on a tropical island."

"Who knows, Alexander? Maybe you did. I can tell you one thing, and that is that this is the furthest you'll get from any civilization. No one has been here for centuries, other than me, of course. And my parents."

"Where are your parents now?" Alec asked, wanting to figure out more about this strange man.

"My mother is dead. My father… left. Probably drowned," Magnus said with a shrug.

"Left how? How do you know he drowned? Did he have a boat?" Alec questioned. If Magnus's father could leave, surely Alec could too, right?

"Well, you remember how I told you that you could try to build a raft and leave the island, but there's a big chance you'll be caught up in a storm. My father took the chance. He got caught up in a storm and died."

"How far is it exactly to the closest island with people in it? Like, with a city. With a harbor."

"I've never tried to leave, so I wouldn't know. But from the top of the mountain you can see about 20 kilometers in every direction, and no land in sight. I can take you to the top tomorrow, if you want. So you can see for yourself."

"Yes please, I want to see it for myself. So far I am not willing to just accept my fate of being here forever." Alec had to get back. He had a family, a life. He had to take care of his siblings, had to protect them from their parents. He wondered what they were doing now. They were both busy studying, but who was paying for their courses now? He knew Izzy had considered getting a part time job, and Jace had already been working at the bar on the weekends, but they didn't make nearly enough to keep each other going. Had they gone back to their parents? Had their parents accepted them back? What if they hadn't? What if, because of this, they had given up on their courses and started working full time. What if, because of this, they were struggling to get by? That would all be Alec's fault. He had to get back to them, he had to. No matter what it took. He would swim all the way back if he had to.

* * *

They spent all day hunting. Alec caught two rabbits with the bow, and Magnus said that was enough and would last them two days if they could get something to eat along with it. So the rest of the evening was spent looking for berries and fruits.

Magnus taught Alec about the different kinds, which ones were poisonous and which ones were not. How to recognize them, how to pick them. Magnus didn't really like that part, but it was necessary, mostly to distract him of course and to keep him calm so he wouldn't try to get away. Not that he could get far, no matter how good they were at swimming, they would drown before they reached any other island. Magnus had lied, saying there was no way off the island. He hadn't lied about the fact that the closests civilization was far away, but people had gotten off the island with rafts before. But Magnus couldn't give him hope, or he'd never stop looking for a way to get off. It was just a few more days until the competition started, and then Alec wouldn't have time to even think about getting off, he'd be too focused on surviving.

They always had a few days in the beginning. 3 to find candidates, they were brought to the islands and the merpeople immediately began to train and prepare them for the weeks ahead, the trials. On the 4th day of the competition no more candidates could be presented and everyone had to focus on the training. On the 10th day of the competition the council decided on the 10 sacrifices, the others were left in the ocean again to die. Two days after that, the first challenge took park, the candidats had already spent some time working for it, but the main attraction of the first trial happened on the 12th day.

First round was to see just how they would do in the water, and also a way to kill their last hope. It wasn't unusual for the people to talk about rafts and boats, and so the first week, they would make one. The raft would be set out, and a storm would come quickly afterwards. The first 3 to drown were out, the rest would be rescued and put back on the island. In the end, the person that survived the longest would be the final sacrifice, the main attraction of the ritual to keep them hidden. Safe. It was always a huge spectacle and everyone loved it, but they were also glad that it happened only every decade, it was a lot to organise and a lot of stress.

But in the end, the whole season was a lot of fun. Bets were placed by the people who didn't participate, favorites were made, people had even gotten into fights because of disagreements.

They didn't consider it murder, it wasn't. It was a sacrifice, it was an honor. The only reason they did it in the first place was to keep themselves safely hidden away, because of them, it was their fault that they had to do it. How much was 10 people every decade when they had killed thousands of them every year for centuries? If anything, it was revenge.

"Wait, so, what exactly is the difference between these two?" Alec's voice brought him out of his thoughts, and Magnus plastered a smile on his face and looked at the berries in Alec's hands. "They look exactly the same."

"No, this one has a slightly different shape. Don't you see? This one is more like a pear shape, and this one is more of an apple shape. If you eat that one, you die. So learn the difference."

"What if I just don't eat any purple berries? Then I won't risk dying. I think that's the better solution." Magnus sighed.

"If that's what you want to do. But almost every fruit has one similar one that'll make you sick, so you won't be eating many berries."

"Isn't there any normal fruit here? I don't want apple shaped berries, I want an actual apple," Alec said.

"If you find an appletree, please let me know. I know this island inside out and I haven't found any yet. There are bananas and mangos, here. You can have that. Bananas you can find all year around, Mangos will be ending in August, so you only have a few months with that."

Of course, Alec wasn't actually going to see a season without mangos, he'd stay for another 4 weeks at most, if he was lucky.

"For a guy who's lived all his life here, you seem to talk very much like someone from New York," Alec pointed out after a moment. "I mean, do you even count the months here? Do you know what month it is right now? Do you celebrate christmas here?"

"Just because I live on an island doesn't mean I'm an animal. I know how to speak like you people. New York people. Maybe my mother was from New York, who knows? It's a small world." New York was probably Alec's home city, so Magnus would speak with a New York accent. It was weird with the english, there were so many of them. It was different for almost every person Magnus had talked with before. But as long as he could keep Alec's suspicion at bay, it didn't matter what he sounded like to Alec.

"You said no one had ever gotten off the island. How did your mother get from New York to here if it's so far away? Did she have a boat?"

"My mother was in your situation. Washed up here."

"What about your father? You said he left?"

"Listen, I was a kid when he left. I don't remember how, I just know I never heard from him again, and there was a storm. He's probably at the bottom of the ocean."

"But how did he get here?"

"I don't know, Alexander. Surprisingly enough, I wasn't born at the time," Magnus snapped.

"Fine, fine. I'm just trying to find a way out of here."

"There is no way, okay? I'll let you know if there is, but there isn't."

"I have to get back to my siblings," Alec said. "They need me, they need money for their studies so they won't have to work somewhere just for the sake of earning money."

"Is that why you were on the boat? To earn money?"

"Yeah. I don't have any studies, people won't hire, so… it was the only job I got. It was supposed to be two months, not… not forever." Magnus wanted to say it would only be two months anyway, but held back the remark.

"Hey, the storms usually have a season. I think… in a few days I think there'll be a clear season. Once you get settled in, we can try to build a raft, okay? I can't promise it'll work, but we can try."

"Really? You… you're going to help me? Thank you!"

"You're welcome. But not yet, okay? In a week or so." Alec nodded excitedly.

"Okay. Yeah. Thank you."

"Now, come on. You need to learn these berries." Alec sighed but nodded, and they continued their lesson.

Only a week till the trials started, and Magnus already had Alec willing and excited. This could not have had a better start.


	2. The first trial

**Sorry this is a little late! Updates should be every Monday, but i had no time yesterday!**

Alec had been on the island for 8 days, he was one of the chosen 10 to compete in order to become the final sacrifice. Magnus had been pretty excited when he heard that Alec was picked as one of the ten to compete. It was a great honour, both for Magnus and Alec.

The first trial was the making of the raft, and surviving the storm. Magnus had seen that Alec was more than capable of hunting. He'd taught him about the fruits and berries, he'd showed him how to get fish, wood, and freshwater. Alec had been bugging him with making the raft ever since he first came, so Magnus was glad he could finally help him with that. And crush his final hopes of getting off the island.

Right now, Magnus was watching as Alec tried to put together an axe with a blade Magnus had lying around, and a strong stick he'd found somewhere. Magnus didn't have one, mainly because it was part of the trial to make everything from scratch, but also because it was never necessary otherwise. They got more than enough wood from picking up dead branches from the ground.

But Alec was extremely motivated, and managed to get one that worked in just a few hours. He immediately started taking down a tree.

The sun was setting on the first day by the time Alec had gotten a tree down, and he'd started cutting the trunk into long, flat pieces. As flat as he could make them, anyway, with the few tools at hand. Magnus had to force him away from the work to make him eat, and then managed to convince him to take a quick swim. Everyone was requesting more "footage" of Alec, which was hard when the man almost refused to go longer than knee depth into the water. But it was good that many people seemed to like him. Everyone would be happy if he won, and Magnus… he didn't know what the reward for winning was this year, but it was something good, it always was. Magnus had never won before, he'd only actually been chosen two times before, and his person had always died in the first two weeks. But Magnus had a feeling now, he was sure Alec was the one. Alec was meant to be the sacrifice.

That night, once Alec was fast asleep after the long day of tiering work, Magnus left the cabin to go report the progress. He hadn't had his tail for two days and it was awful, he let out a sigh of relief as the blue scales wrapped around his legs, and took a deep breath under the water, feeling much better already.

He swam to the deep, relishing in the feeling. As much as Magnus loved the competition, he loved his home more. And the competition, the sacrifice, it was all so he could keep his home safe. Tonight he wanted to show off some more pictures of Alexander. Since the trial had started, all 10 competitors were selected and situated on their own islands, there was a huge meeting every night. The merpeople who had contributed a sacrifice were invited to show their choices there to the spectators. Magnus was one of the first to arrive. His friend Ragnor, had arrived, ready to show off his choice. Raphael was also there, looking grumpy as always. Probably because his pick had been voted out at the very beginning. Then there was Lorenzo. Alec had been the first pick, which made Magnus incredibly proud. Lorenzo's pick had placed in a solid second. Magnus didn't like Lorenzo, and honestly, as long as Alec won over his guy, Magnus didn't even care if he won or not. The place was soon filled with thousands of merpeople and then the director of the committee came up.

"Welcome, everyone. Thank you for arriving to day 10 of this competition. Everyone is getting ready for the storm in two days and with that first trail our competition is officially opened. Tonight! Our people have come to show you the newest pictures of our sacrifices. We will start with Alexander, brought in by Magnus." Magnus grinned as the crowd cheered, and made his way to the center of the stage.

"Well, I have Alexander, or Alec, as you all know. He was the first to be picked," Magnus said proudly and looked over at Lorenzo, smirking at him. "I found him lost in the ocean, but he is in perfect health, he's strong, he's handsome. I think I'll just let you see for yourself," Magnus said before going a bit back, a big picture of Alec appearing where he stood earlier.

This picture was from that same day, when Magnus had finally convinced him to take a swim. Alec was all the way under water, eyes squinting.

"I have to admit that he is not that fond of water, but I expect that to be a good thing when it comes to the first challenge. He can swim and he is very keen on building that raft." The picture shifted to one from a few days before, when Magnus had made him swim in the small lake. He looked more comfortable there, and his broad shoulders and strong arms and legs were clearly visible as he swam. Magnus heard someone whistle from the crowd.

A few more pictures passed before Magnus's time was over, and he stepped back. Next up was Lorenzo, then Ragnor, Raphael and the others.

The night ended with people placing their bets on who they thought was going to win. Magnus, Raphael, Ragnor, and the other who were part of the competition weren't allowed to bet, so Magnus spent some time with his friends. Catarina came up to them as well, and they retreated from the crowds to have some time for themselves.

"I have to say, your Alec looks really good and I think he had a chance, you definitely did a lot better than the last two times, Magnus. But I hate that they have to die, you know? I mean I understand it, we need to be protected, but still. These people have nothing to do with it, some have a family. They are good people and we kill them," Catarina said.

"Well, yeah, but. I mean, they killed thousands of us," Ragnor pointed out.

"That was centuries ago, Ragnor. They don't even know about us anymore."

"Because we started protecting ourselves."

"Yes, of course, but we could try to get people who aren't innocent. People who deserve this. We can get on land, we could look for them… I mean, Magnus, you talked to Alec, didn't you? Is he a bad man?"

"No, but… being the sacrifice is an honor. Every sacrifice if picked specifically. We can't give that honor to bad people."

"We could just stop killing people all-together," Raphael said suddenly, out of the blue. "We could get our powers like we did before, from the corals. Oh, wait. They're destroying all of that, aren't they? Not leaving a lot of power for us."

"We could do what?" Catarina frowned. "Are you serious? That is an option? I mean, we could foster corals here, and hide them, instead of using that energy to hide the islands we kill people on."

"It's hard enough to keep the corals we have going. They are destroying the waters. They stopped killing us directly, but they're still killing us, slowly but surely. Plus, no one would ever want that. We'd all have to become farmers, and the sacrifice has been a tradition for decades. People wouldn't just let it go."

"But we should. It is not right," Catarina said.  
Magnus wasn't sure about this. He had thought of it before, of course he had. But he thought it was necessary. That they had to, but now he wasn't sure. Of course he understood that it would be difficult, especially if that other source was dying. He liked Alec, a bit more than he had expected but he had thought , no known that Alec had had to die. Now he wasn't so sure about that anymore.

"It's just ten every ten years, Cat," Ragnor said. "We catch them out of storms and sunken boats. If we didn't, they'd probably just drown anyway. We're doing them a favor."

"We could save them, you know? For the sake of saving them, maybe they would understand, maybe we could… co-exist in peace if we started to be nice."

"Hey, we tried that. You know how they responded? They hunted us down. Sold our scales, kept us in aquariums for show. They deserve this," Raphael said.

"That was centuries ago. Maybe they've changed."

"I don't think so," said Raphael.

"But we don't know."

That discussion ended way after midnight. Magnus had to get back up to Alec, but he couldn't stop thinking about it. Would it be possible to change things? But why would he want to change it? He didn't know Alec after all. He had met him eight days ago. It had been like this for as long as Magnus could remember, and merpeople lived pretty long. Maybe Raphael had just heard some rumors, maybe it wasn't really true. Or he was right, Ragnor was at least double his age, so he knew more than him. But in the end, did it really matter? They were fine like this. Ragnor was right. 10 people every 10 years, and they would probably have drowned anyway. It wasn't like they were on a killing spree, it was just necessary sacrifices.

Magnus arrived on land and shook away the thoughts. It didn't matter. Alec was already doomed, as were the other nine. Maybe in the next 10 years, they could figure something out, but for now it didn't matter.

Magnus shed of his tail, going back to his human form, and soon enough he was back in the cabin, getting back into bed alongside Alec.

Alec didn't need Magnus to wake him up. As soon as the sun peeked into the cabin, he was up and ready to go, the need to build the raft, to get off the island, driving him. He was out and ready to build his raft. Magnus would wake up eventually, he thought, and after a few hours, he finally did.

"Oh look, who finally decided to get up as well… Did you stay up longer last night?" he teased. It was nice to live with Magnus. The man was good to him and they actually had fun. If it hadn't been for the situation they were in, Alec might even have been happy. Magnus was the kind of guy Alec wouldn't have been able to resist, back in New York.

"Maybe I did. You wouldn't know, would you? You barely even made it to the bed to fall asleep," Magnus replied, rolling his eyes. "Have you had any breakfast?" He asked. Alec shook his head.

"I don't need breakfast. I need to finish this."

"The season of no storms is a few days away anyway, Alexander. I think you'll have it finished by then even if you stop to eat. We don't want you to starve before you even finish building the raft." Alec sighed but stepped a bit away from the piece of wood he was working with.

"Fine," he said. "What do you have?"

"Mangos and some water, very special. Extra for today"

Alec chuckled at that, they had mangoes very often but Alec was okay with that, he knew it was all that was available. It was better than starving, and the mangos were actually pretty good.

Alec ate one quickly, and took a few sips of water before he went back to working on the raft.

"What do your siblings do?" Magnus asked as he watched him.

"They study… Jace studies criminal justice, he wants to be a detective. And Isabelle studies fashion design, she is amazing at that and she will be an amazing designer if she finishes that… but she can only finish her studies if I come back. I need to earn money for them. They can't study and work at the same time."

"What about your parents?" Alec sighed and didn't say anything for a moment.

"They weren't very happy with me after I… came out to them. They told me to get out of their lives. My siblings were stupid enough to follow."

"Ah. And that's why you got that job at the ship?" Alec nodded.

"Yeah. Can we talk about something else, now? Tell me about you." Magnus shrugged and took a bite of another mango.

"There's not much to tell. I was born and raised on the island. My mother died when I was a kid, my father left. I stayed. Because, as I've told you so much before, it is dangerous and even ten year old me knew he or anyone else wouldn't survive this. I took the safer option. It is lonely but I am alive."

"Wait, so you've been alone here since you were 10?" Alec questioned, looking away from the raft to actually look at Magnus. "How did you survive?"

"I've learned quickly. I had the cabin and like 3 knifes. I had to grow up quickly."

"Yeah, you must have…" Alec looked around and wondered what it must have been like to live alone here. He wondered how someone could just leave Magnus here, that his father had even given him a choice to not come… "I am impressed with how… sane you still are, after … how old are you? 28? Roughly… so you've spent 18 years alone and you still seem to not have lost your mind, that's impressive"

"Hm, yeah. 28 exactly," Magnus said with a nod.

"You really are 28? I've guessed right… You could be 25 or mid 30 already"

"Well, I'm not. I'm 28," Magnus said. "Anyway, I had a pet for a while. A cat I found and tamed. Kept me company."

"A cat? That is cool. Cats are great… Maybe I will get one once I'm back home."

"Yeah, maybe. If you get back home."

"You said there was a season without storms. What's stopping me from going home?"

"I said a season with less storms. And even so, just being on a raft in the open sea is dangerous enough in itself. You are far away from home, no way to bring supplies with you on your boat and a raft is... Any animal can bump against you and you are dead. I understand that you have to try it… I will stay here and maybe you'll make it or you'll come back here and… I could try to get you a cat, someone to keep us company."

"I get that you don't want to… but if I do this and survive, I'll come to search for you once I get home."

"If you insist on that, sure. But the streams have brought you here once, Alexander. Fate led you here. Fate might not like you trying to leave."

"I don't believe in fate," was Alec's response. Magnus didn't say anything else, and a silence set over them, only the sounds of Alec working on the wood cutting through the air, the need to get home had filled him with endless stamina.

When the time for the first challenge arrived, he was nervous. He slept badly that night, he couldn't stop thinking of what could happen. He needed Alec to survive, needed him to go on, to win this. "Do you have everything?" he asked.

"Yes… and you are sure that you don't want to come with me?"

"I am, Alexander, I hope you survive, I wish you luck…. But if anything happens… try to come back here, it will be the safest option. Promised me that you'll come back if it goes badly."

Alec nodded and sighed. "Fine… and I promise to come back to you. But it won't happen. Next time I'm here will be when I come here to get you."

Alexander was so sweet. Magnus smiled at him before taking a step back. Alec pushed the raft into the water and then jumped on it. He had a bag over his shoulder, filled with some water and mangos, the only fruit he could take with him. Magnus actually waved before he sat down. It would take a little while before the storm would come, before he could get into the water to see up close how Alec would handle. He wasn't allowed to touch Alec once the challenge had started but he was allowed to be near him, to watch closely, and he planned to do exactly that. Magnus watched Alec for as long as he could.

Alec didn't feel good about leaving Magnus behind, but he couldn't force him to come along and Alec was not about to stay on the island.

At first it all seemed to go smoothly, but after a while the clouds started growing darker and darker and Alec cursed. He knew what that meant and he looked back to the Island. He could still see it but it was far away. He might as well keep trying, he wouldn't stop so soon. He couldn't. His family needed him.

The storm became worse and soon he felt his raft shake, the waves build up and in the matter of seconds everything was dark and he held onto the raft. He couldn't give up. He thought he saw something under the surface but he just hoped he was wrong. There was nothing. Alec prayed. He begged to make it out of this, he wasn't a bad person, he didn't deserve to die. He held on for his live but with one wave the raft turned over and Alec was under water. This time he had expected it, it didn't make it easier but this time he had been prepared. He knew which way to swim and since he could still see the island, a tiny spot in the distance. He didn't want to give up, but there was nothing in the other direction. He had to get back. It was his only chance, and so he swam.

He lost sight of the island and he wasn't sure if he was going in the right direction. He felt water burning in his throat and lungs, wave after wave washed over his head, and Alec was exhausted. He had almost given up, but then… then saw Magnus. With a glowing, blue tail, pointing into a direction. This couldn't be true but Alec still trusted his hallucination and swam. He didn't have any choice. This strange Magnus kept being there, Alec came closer but shortly before he arrived him, Magnus was gone again. He followed him. He lost track of time, he was dizzy but this time he didn't give up. He knew there was a place where he could go and he fought. He fought hard because getting to that island meant he could try to get away again. If he gave up now, that would be it.

Alec didn't know how, but somehow, each time he started wondering what direction to go in, _Magnus_ was there, and… in the end, Alec washed up on shore. Somehow, he'd made it back. It didn't make sense, he'd been miles away, the water was freezing, he'd swallowed plenty and breathed in some, and yet here he was. Alive.

"Magnus!" Alec coughed up water as he tried to call for him, he was shivering and soaked, he needed someone, he needed Magnus. Magnus had led him here, he was back on the island. He couldn't die now. Couldn't leave a corpse for Magnus to find.

"Alexander? Alec!"

Alec smiled and laughed a little when he heard Magnus. "Here," he called and crawled further up the shore, getting away from the water. It didn't take long before Magnus was by his side, he was wet from the rain.

"You came back" he told him as he lifted him from the ground.

"Followed you," Alec mumbled before the world went black around him.

Alec woke up the next day thinking he was back on the beach, just after he'd washed up. His head was throbbing and even just breathing hurt. Alec opened his eyes, and when he saw the tattered roof in the cabin, he remembered. He wondered just how much water he'd breathed in, just how close he'd been to drowning. If Magnus hadn't been there…

But it wasn't Magnus. It can't have been Magnus. It was a… a mermaid. Or a merman? With Magnus's body, but… with a bright blue tail. Like something straight out of a movie. It was impossible. Surely Alec had just been delusional, he'd imagined things. It was his subconsciousness trying to communicate. He had been hallucinating, he was sure about that. Alec knew he had swallowed a lot of water, it was the only explanation.

Alec looked around, seeing the cabin was empty. He tried to sit up, but had to lie back down. He felt sick. He wasn't sure how long he laid there, but he heard steps outside and Magnus stepped into the cabin.

"Hey, Alexander. You're up," he said, immediately moving to Alec's side. "How are you feeling? Are you okay?" he asked.

"I… yeah, I think so," Alec said with a frown. "I'm alive. Thanks to you" Alec sat up slowly and looked at Magnus.

"I hardly did anything, darling. If anything, I'm the one who put you out in the storm."

"That wasn't your fault," Alec said. "You were trying to help, you can't predict the weather." Alec hesitated for a moment before continuing. "I, um… while I was, you know… on my way back, I, um. I got lost, many times. I mean, it was dark and there was water everywhere, and… I lost sight of the island. But… you were there."

"Me? I haven't left the island, Alexander," Magnus said.

"I know, it wasn't really you. It was… I mean. You had a fishtail. You were a mermaid."

"I believe you mean merman. I'm no maid," Magnus commented with a chuckle.

"You get my point. It was a hallucination, obviously. But it just… it was weird. You showed me the way back."

Magnus smiled and sat down next to Alec. He held his hand and nodded. "I am glad you made it back here. I'm so glad you didn't die."

"I am glad, too… this means I can try it again… not so soon but I can and will try it again. I am not giving up. That was the reason I came back… that and you," he said and looked at Magnus. He reached out and cupped his cheek. "The image of you led me back, saved me," he told him and slowly leaned closer.

Before their lips could touch, Magnus spoke. "I don't want you to try again," he confessed. He didn't pull away. "The island is my home. I can't leave. But… it's nice having some company." Alec could feel Magnus's breath on his lips as he spoke, they were so close…

"I guess I can stay… wait a few weeks at least, before I try again." Magnus didn't say anything to that, but closed the space between them, pressing their lips against each other. It was a sweet kiss, short but Alec liked it a lot. He'd never been kissed before, but he'd been told it was like fireworks. Alec wasn't sure if it was fireworks, exactly. But he sure felt like _something _was happening in his stomach, like he'd suddenly started falling. Maybe this was why it was called falling in love. The thought scared him, but… it was a bit cliche, wasn't it? Two people stuck on an island, have to work together to survive. End up falling in love. It sounded like a movie Izzy would make him see. And Magnus probably only kissed him because he was the only other human he had ever seen. Alec dropped his hand when they broke apart. "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry, Alexander. That was lovely," Magnus murmured.

"You… you liked it?"

Magnus hummed. "I did. But now, you should get some food. Can you stand?" He asked. Alec stood up on shaky legs.

"Uh, yeah. I think so," he said with a nod.

"Okay. I have to go check on a few traps I left around the place. There's food outside, water in the bucket, you know how everything works," Magnus said, and with that he turned around and left. He said he'd enjoyed the kiss, but… he can't have, not with how he suddenly started acting. Alec was sure he regretted it, and didn't even bothered to get up to get food. He'd messed up. He was an idiot, of course he'd messed up. He just needed to get off this damn island as soon as possible.

This was a disaster. This was absolutely terrible. It wasn't supposed to go like this. Alec was going to die, sooner or later. He had 3 weeks now, at most. Magnus didn't check out any trap, like he'd said he would. He went straight to the water, he needed to talk to someone. Catarina. She would understand, surely. At least she wouldn't be mad at him for this, or tell him he was being ridiculous. Magnus knew very well he was being ridiculous, that was the problem! He was starting to develop feelings for him, they had kissed! It didn't take long for him to find Cat and he led her away so they could be alone.

"What is going on? Magnus, what's wrong?" Catarina asked, frowning. "Is it Alec? Did he… die? "

"No… no, he's alive," Magnus said with a shake of his head.

"Then what's wrong? Magnus, talk to me. You look scared." Magnus shook his head.

"I just… I was… we were just talking, he was saying he wanted to try again and I obviously had to get that thought out of his mind, so I told him I wanted him to stay, and then… he kissed me," Magnus explained, feeling like a madman. It was crazy… he couldn't be falling for this man. Alec was going to die. He couldn't. "Well...maybe I've kissed him," he admitted. He didn't know what really had happened. He just knew they had kissed each other and that it had felt so good, he couldn't remember that he ever felt this amazing about kissing anybody.

"You kissed him? Why? To… seduce him? To make him stay?" Catarina questioned.

"No, I… I did it because I wanted to… I wanted to kiss him. I liked it. I want to do it again."

"Oh Magnus, you are falling for him. That's not good. You know he will die"

"I know… that's the problem. I just… I can't help him. Ever since that first day, I felt like something was different. And it is, because… I've never felt like this for anyone."

"Magnus… you can prepare him to survive the next 3 weeks but… but then he will die, unless you can think of something to do. I want to help you… Make sure he survives the next weeks… I will try to think of something and I'm sure Raphael and Ragnor will help you as well if you explain it to them."

"They'll just laugh at me. They both hate the others. I just… don't know how to tell them."

"They love you and if you explain it to them, they will help you. They are your friends and they want you to be happy.. At all costs."

"There is no way," Magnus said. "I know it's impossible, I'm not expecting you to do the impossible. Nothing can save him… I just. I need…"

"Magnus, tell me one thing… What do you feel? What would you risk to save him?"

"I don't know… I've only known him for two weeks… what am I supposed to feel?"

"And yet you are so confused, by one kiss that you rush here to ask me for help. Make him survive and find out what you feel. I will prepare a way for you to save him and then you can decide if it's worth it or not"

"But even if I did get him away, safe… I could never see him again. What would the point be?"

"He would be alive."

"But he wouldn't be with me," Magnus said.

"Think about it, go back and think about it, about what you need, what you want...maybe you can leave with him." Magnus frowned.

"And live on land for the rest of my life? No way," he shook his head. "This is my home. My family. I… I just have to get over him. I'm sure it's nothing anyway. I was just surprised over the kiss."

"Well… I mean it Magnus. Think about it. I want you to be happy and if that means breaking the law and risking everything… then so be it. I am not a fan of killing people, yeah it's more or less just one per year but that is still too much. We shouldn't kill and maybe the revolution will start with this…. A romance."

"There won't be any revolution. Look around, Cat. The people love this. Even the other ones out there, training their guys, they love it. They want to win so they can watch their guy die with the biggest honor. They don't care about them."

"But you do… and I know of a few other who hate this. Yes it is not much but maybe it's worth it...Go back, it's the middle of the day, he will wonder where you are."

"Yeah, yeah…" Catarina was right, Alec would soon get suspicious. Magnus swam back to the island. He stayed by the shore to make sure Alec wasn't at the beach before he shed himself of the tail and got out of the water. He quickly dried in the sun, and then made his way to the cabin.

"Hey, Alexander! I'm back," he called. Magnus noticed the bag with food he'd left for him was untouched and started worrying. "Alexander? Are you here?"

"Here," he heard Alec's voice, low. Magnus went into the cabin and saw him still on the bed.

"Why aren't you up yet? You need food." Alec looked up at him.

"Do you regret it? The kiss?" he asked.

Magnus frowned. "What? No, where did you get that idea from? I really liked it, Alexander. I told you that." He sat down next to him. "Come on. We need to get you some food."

"You practically ran away after the kiss, what was I supposed to think?"

"Okay, I'll admit that looks bad, but… I really didn't mean for you to think that. Okay? I'm sorry. Let's focus on something else, like getting some food into you. You nearly died in the sea yesterday. I almost lost you. I don't want you to starve now."

"Fine, fine. I'm coming," Alec said and sat up with a sigh. Magnus led him outside and helped him settle down before he handed him a fruit.

"Come on, eat up." Alec didn't really feel hungry, but knew he had to eat and so forced himself to at least eat that one fruit.

"Eat up, Alexander. The whole fruit."

"I'm really not hungry."

"I know, but you need it," Magnus insisted. Alec didn't protest, and forced himself to eat the rest of the fruit.

"Fine. Now I'm done," he said.

"Are you sure you don't want another one?"

"Yes, yes I am sure," Alec said with a roll of his eyes.

"Rest the day and then we will go out to hunt. We need some more to eat."

"What will you do all day?" Alec asked.

"Stay here with you, making sure you are alright. We can talk some more."

Alec nodded and smiled. "That sounds nice. We haven't spent much time just talking."

"No, we haven't… but we will spend a while with each other so let's be friends… maybe we will think about that kissing thing but… all I know about relationships is that they end in pain."

"Well… I know you've never seen anyone else except your mom and I've never been with anyone before but… we can try to make the best of our time together. Get to know us better, maybe kiss again" Magnus smiled.

"I'd like that. Talking and kissing. It's nice," He said.

"We've been talking for a while… Maybe we should switch to kissing?" Magnus chuckled and nodded.

"That sounds lovely, darling," he said with a smile. He leaned in close, and soon their lips touched again. If Magnus had been in doubt at all about his feelings… now he wasn't. Magnus was falling head over heels for this man, but just how much was he willing to do for him?


	3. The second trial

Magnus had two days to prepare Alec for the next part of the trial. Alec had to survive, so he made sure to tell Alec everything he needed to know. As it turned out, Alec was much more willing to learn when Magus rewarded him with a kiss or two, which Magnus most definitely didn't complain about.

It was still difficult, because Alec still wanted to leave as soon as possible, but after a few days, he slowly calmed down. The next challenge should be easy for Alec. He'd shown that he was capable of hunting, and he was starting to understand and spot the differences on the berries and fruits. He understood how to make a fire and Magnus had shown him the best fishing spots. A week alone would be easy for him. Or at least, Magnus hoped it would. Alec was capable, as long as he kept his head cool and didn't panic, he would be fine. Magnus was sure of it.

The hardest part would probably be convincing Alec he'd gotten lost. The last time he was in the competition, the one time Magnus had gotten a few rounds in, he'd said he gotten lost and the5y rolled with it, but Alec wasn't like that. Alec would know something was up, especially after Magnus had told him he'd lived there his whole life. Magnus would have a week to figure out a believable excuse.

"Alexander?" Magnus called, Alec had gone into the woods to find the different berries, a little test Magnus had made for him.

It didn't take long before Alec came back with a handful of berries. "Yeah? What is going on?" he asked.

"I was just thinking that in this time of the year, sometimes we can spot ships on the edge of the horizont, if we go to the very top of the mountain," Magnus said. "I thought maybe I could make a quick trip there, light a big bonfire. If any ship went by, the could see it and maybe come here. But," Magnus said. "both of us can't go at the same time. One has to stay here, go hunting, take care of the cabin."

"There are ships coming by and you never tried to get them to notice you before? Can't you abandon the cabin for a little bit of time? I could help you, I will help you. Magnus this is our chance to get away from here!"

"Yes, you will help," Magnus said. "By staying here. Taking care of everything. I'm more used to the terrain. If I leave in the morning, I'll be there and back by sundown, with you it'll just take longer," he said.

"But we should both go and stay there to keep the fire alive, maximize the chance to be seen. If we only burn a fire once…"

"The fire should last a few days. There is a perfect spot there, a bit sunken down surrounded by stone. If I fill that with wood, the fire will last a few days, and I can go to fill it again a few days later."

"It would be so much easier to stay there, Magnus. And you wouldn't be alone then… or is that why you want to go? Because… you're annoyed by me already?"

"No, Alexander. Just trust me that this is the best way," Magnus said. "You trust me, right?"

"Of course I do, I'm just… what if something happens?"

"Nothing will happen, Alexander. Please just take care of my… our place, please." Alec bit his lip and frowned, but eventually nodded. "Okay… fine. But be back quick," he said. Magnus nodded.

"I'll leave in the morning, and I'll be back by sundown," he said. "Now, show me those berries."

Magnus left that morning, leaving Alec anxious and pacing. Alec knew what be had to do that day, what they usually did. He had to get food, make the food… keep himself busy. Alec didn't like that Magnus left alone and he really didn't understand how Magnus had never tried this before. He supposed Magnus really didn't want to get off the island.

Alec spent most of the day hunting, busy. He didn't want to think about Magnus, about the possibility of being saved. He kept glancing up to the top of the mountain, wondering if he could see the fire from there, wondering if Magnus had made it there yet. The day went by slowly, but eventually night set and Alec went to bed, hoping Magnus would be there in the morning.

Alec woke up alone. When he stood up, he saw everything was untouched. He got up to look around, maybe Magnus had just arrived, maybe he was eating or maybe he'd gone for a swim. But as he called for him, looked around, and even went to the beach, Alec realized he wasn't there. He wasn't back. Something had happened, something must have happened. What if he'd tripped and broken a leg? What if he'd fallen into a hole? What if he was somewhere, almost dead, waiting for Alec to find him?

Alec looked at the mountain. No fire. Magnus hadn't made it up, he couldn't have. He must have gotten hurt on the way and Alec was not about to leave him all alone out there. He was going to find him. When the sun stood highest in the sky, Alec packed water and some food before he left for the woods. He also brought his bow, a few arrows and a knife. He wanted to be prepared for everything.

Alec quickly left once he was ready, not really knowing the way, but just heading in the direction of the mountain. He'd find a way up the mountain.

In the 2 weeks he'd been here, Magnus was the one thing that had kept him grounded, that had kept him focused, given him hope. Without Magnus, what was he supposed to do? Alec tried not to think about that, he wanted to find Magnus, had to find him.

Alec began to understand what Magnus had meant when he said that he would be quicker without him. He was not good on the ground, he stumbled and fell more times than he'd like to admit, but Alec blamed that on his nerves. He still didn't know the time so he didn't know long he had been searching for Magnus but when the sun started setting. What he did know, was that he had to find a safe place to sleep. There were a lot of wild animals on this island, most of them were not friendly.

Preferably, he didn't want to stop at all, but the darker it got, the less he saw, the more at risk he was. Many of the animals hunted at night, and right now Alec was an easy prey. In the end, Alec climbed a tree and used ropes to secure himself before he closed his eyes and slowly drifted off.

When he woke up, the sun was already standing tall. Alec quickly got down from the tree, ate a bit of fruit he'd brought, before setting on his way again.

It was harder to see the mountain now, the trees were covering his view of the sky, and he could barely even see the sun. He'd been able to see it from the top of the tree, but now, he couldn't.

He wondered if this was stupid, if he'd made a mistake going after Magnus. What if Magnus was just late? What if he was at the cabin now, wondering where Alec was? What if he'd just messed everything up? He kept moving forward, still looking for Magnus. Without Magnus, Alec didn't know if he could survive on the island.

Magnus had been trying to keep an eye on Alec. He'd seen him when he went to the beach searching for him, but after that, he'd lost track of him. He hadn't seen him in any of the fishing spots. He knew that Alec preferred hunting, so he wasn't too worried about that. But when the evening came around and Alec didn't come to their usual fireplace, Magnus started to get a bit worried. What if something had happened? What if he'd gotten lost while hunting, or if he'd fallen in a hole or been attacked by an animal? Magnus knew the rules, but when night fell and there was still no trace of Alec, he quietly left the water, made his way through the forest, and to the cabin. He just wanted to peak inside, just to make sure everything was fine, that Alec was there.

But Alec _wasn't_ there. The cabin was empty. Magnus knew the rules, Alec couldn't know he was there before the week had ended, but… he just had to know Alec was okay. "Alexander?" He called. No answer. He had to find him. Magnus told himself that it was fine, he just had to see Alec was alright, he didn't have to talk to him but see him. How could he explain that Alec had died because he ran after him? That wasn't how they were supposed to go. They were supposed to stay in the cabin, to be taken down by an animal, or to starve or anything, at the cabin. How would he even know if Alec died, if he was nowhere near water? Why couldn't he just have done as he was told to do?

At the beginning, Magnus managed to track Alec's path. There were broken branches, footprints, plenty of leads. But as he got further into the woods, Alec must have gotten more careful. Soon enough, there was no way to track him. Why would Alec run after him? Surely he couldn't care that much. He probably just wanted to light the fire, he was so desperate to get home. Magnus didn't understand. Wasn't this island everything someone could want? He had food, water, hot weather all year around, what was there not to like? He just wished Alec would stay put, would accept his fate. Even if he had no idea what that would bring for him.

It didn't matter at the moment, he had to find Alec, maybe he could tell everyone Alec was dead? No, that was stupid, the bodies were always taken to their city as a tribute for the sacrifice. Magnus didn't know why he even thought about that, Alec was a dead man. Hopefully not yet but in two weeks certainly. Magnus had two weeks to get used to the idea. In a month, Magnus couldn't be running around the woods desperate to find him, to save him. Because there would be no saving Alec. He would die an honorable death in the end, whether he was the final sacrifice or not. Maybe leaving Alec here would be the best. Maybe if Alec died now, it would be easier. Maybe he should just… let it happen. And yet, Magnus couldn't make himself stop, couldn't convince himself to turn around and go back to the water.

When he found him, the sun was already rising again. Magnus knew he needed to get back before anyone started suspecting things, but… he had a feeling he was close. He was sure of it, Alec was somewhere close and so he kept moving. After a few more steps he saw Alec jump down from a tree and he relaxed. Alec was alive. He was alive and fine and… he was going after Magnus, but as long as be survived, it was fine. He jumped when he heard Alec shout for him and he almost answered when he remembered the rules. He couldn't talk to him. It was only day two of 7 and Magnus already didn't know what to do or how to get Alec back to the cabin. Magnus didn't know if there was anything he _could _do.

Maybe when the week was over, he could find Alec. He still didn't have the excuse, he had to think of that. He just needed… he needed to get back. Before Alec saw him. Before anyone suspected something. With a last look at Alec, Magnus slowly turned his back, heading back where he'd come from. At least now he knew Alec was fine, and maybe… maybe he'd check up on him again in a few days.

Magnus went back to the water and then swam home. It had been a few days since he'd last spoke to Cat and now he knew that he needed her help. She was willing to save Alecs life. She could come up with some kind of solution, she had to.

Alec wasn't the most talented searcher but he did not give up. He kept looking, day after day. His fruits were all eaten so he had to hunt. He also found a little river where he refilled his water bag and then he kept going. He got hurt a bit when he fell over a root but he didn't think too much of it. Every night he slept in a tree and then spend the day looking for Magnus. He didn't know if he was actually going anywhere or if he was just going around in circles, but he did not give up. He'd lost count of the days and slowly he also lost his hope to find Magnus alive, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to find his body. Maybe he should give up and try to leave the island again. He was dirty, muddy and his clothes were smelling by the time he heard a whimper. "Magnus!" he shouted and moved towards the noise. "Magnus, is that you?"

"Alexander?" It was faint, distant, but it was there.

"Magnus! Just hold on for me, I'm coming," he called, moving towards the source of the sound. He was almost running at that point. "Magnus!" It didn't take long before Alec found Magnus, finally.

"Hey, Alexander. There you are." Magnus's face was cut and bloody, and he was sitting down.

"Oh Magnus," he said as he knelt down. He cupped his cheek and looked at the cuts. "I've been looking for you for so long, what happened?"

"I didn't make it to the top. I'm sorry, Alexander."

"Hey, it's okay.I came looking for you, not for the fire. Magnus when… when you didn't come back… I was worried… I'm so glad you are alive, can you stand? I'll get you out of here." Magnus shook his head.

"I hurt my ankle, couldn't move at all. But if you give me a hand, maybe I can manage."

Alec nodded and stood up, he held out his hand for Magnus and wrapped it around him to hold him up. "Do you think this works?"

"Yeah…. Yeah, I think it'll work," Magnus said, nodding. "Will you be okay? It's a long way back…" he mumbled.

"Magnus, you shouldn't be worried about me. Have you looked at yourself?"

"You don't have to worry about me. I'm fine, I promise. I just need to eat and rest and I'll be fine."

"Let's get you back to the cabin then, you can lie down and sleep a bit. I am just so glad you are alive… Now come on," said Alec as he slowly started to move. He was silent for a moment before speaking up again. "You're gonna have to tell me the way."

"You got lost?" Magnus looked over at Alec. "What were you planning to do if you didn't find me?"

"Yes I got lost… a few days ago but I thought I should keep looking… and… I don't know, if I had found the beach, and then I would have tried to get home again. Or I would have died here, I don't know… but I got you back, alive and it's going to be okay, you will be okay."

"Okay, well, come on. It's that way," Magnus said and nodded in one direction. "Let's just go slowly, yeah?" Alec nodded.

"Of course. At your pace," Alec said before they started to slowly make their way back.

Alec would have died for him? Magnus slowly started to understand that. It made sense to him, in a way. He felt the same way for Alec but it was still overwhelming to hear that Alec would have died out there for him. As he had risked his life trying to save Magnus when Magnus didn't need to be saved.

He was able to walk, slowly but he could walk on his own. Magnus had spent a few days trying to come up with an excuse and being hurt was the only believable one he could think of. He knew he had to make it look real, so he'd climbed up a tree and jumped down. He'd hurt his ankle, which he hoped would be enough to convince Alec he really was hurt, and he had also scraped up his arms and face. And it worked. Alec believed him.

It took them two days, but they got back to the cabin. Once they had gotten back, Alec went hunting and Magnus went to quickly check in, give the counsel an update. He was back before Alec would even notice. The 3 guys who's gone out belonged to someone Magnus didn't know, so he wasn't too worried about that. Raphael and Ragnor were both still in, and so was Lorenzo. He shouldn't care about them too much, and he didn't. It was mere curiosity. He was definitely wondering who would win in the end, if it wasn't Alec. But Alec would win, he had to. Magnus couldn't lose him, not yet.

For now, he needed to prepare him for his next trial. He needed to forget that Alec was a dead man, and he needed to keep him alive. Cat would come up with something, and until then he had to keep him alive. Alive and healthy and well, and he had to make him the winner.

Magnus was back in bed when Alec came to him, a dead bird In his hand. "You're up...how do you feel? I… I'll just get the fire going to roast this and then you can eat something, it will help you," he said. He went closer and kissed him quickly before he left the cabin again. It was so sweet how Alec cared for him.

It didn't take long before Magnus could smell the meat, and only then did he realize just how hungry he was. He did not eat a lot in the last two days. It had been difficult but Alec had taken such good care of him, he had even carried him a bit of the way. And Magnus, Magnus found himself falling, and he didn't mind. He _wanted _to fall for Alec, he wanted to be with him. And if only things had been different, if only Alec had been one of them… they could have been together. Or maybe not, Alec was so different from anyone he'd ever met before. Alec cared so much, he was driven by love, for his family and for Magnus. Or at least Magnus thought that Alec was falling for him, too. It felt like that. He hoped Alec felt the same way.

"Hey, Magnus?" Alec's voice brought him out of his thoughts, and he looked up at him.

"Yes, darling?"

"Food is ready. Do you want me to help you outside, or shall I bring you some here?" Alec asked.

"I would love to go out, please. If it doesn't bother you that you need to help me."

"Of course not. Come on, I'll help you," Alec said and moved over to him, helping him get up and leading him out of the cabin, to settle down on a stub in front of the fire. He handed him a plate with the meat on. "Eat up. You must be starving."

"You have no idea," Magnus said and started to eat. He was so incredibly hungry. He looked at Alec and smiled. "You eat too. Alec, you need it as well."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm eating, don't worry. You're the one that has been hurt for a week," Alec said.

"I'm fine, Alexander. Really, I am," Magnus said. Alec looked at him and smiled.

"I'm glad. I don't know what I would do without you."

Magnus smiled softly at that, hoping the pain he was feeling would not show up on his face. Alec wouldn't know what to do without him and Magnus began to feel like he had no idea what to do without Alec and yet there was, training Alec for a trial he didn't know was happening and preparing him for his death.

"You would be fine without me," he finally said. "You know how to survive on your own now."

"Well, yes. But I'd probably die of loneliness."

"Hey, if I survived, why wouldn't you?"

"Because you are… I don't know. Some kind of magical being. I would go crazy after just a week on my own. I know how to hunt, yes… but I would go insane being alone and I would miss you so much. Not just because you are the only person but because I really like you." Magnus's heart ached again, but he smiled softly.

"I really like you too, Alexander. I really do," he said quietly.

"I hope so," Alec smiled.

Magnus didn't say anything but instead reached out to cup Alecs cheek and pull him in for a kiss. He wanted to kiss him but he also wanted to hide his face, his eyes. He didn't want Alec to see how hurt he was, how conflicted inside. He didn't know what to do, what he could do. It had always felt right, the sacrifices, the competition. Now, it felt… twisted. Evil. Especially if there was another way, if it was possible to get their energy from somewhere else… if they didn't _have _to hurt people, why did they? _For revenge! _A voice in his head told him. _They've killed thousands of us, for fun. _Magnus shook his head. _Alec hasn't killed anyone. What makes us any better than them if we do exactly the same that they did? _

"Magnus? Is everything okay?" Magnus looked up at Alec.

"Yes. Everything is wonderful, actually. We're here together, right? What more could I ask for?"

"Not being on an island but a city with an actual roof over our head and an incredibly huge variety of food and the possibility to own more than one piece of clothing… but I am happy to have you, so incredibly happy."

"Maybe one day you'll find your way back," Magnus said and cupped Alec's cheek. "You deserve it. More than anyone. And I wish… I wish it could help you. I wish I could take you home."

"It's okay… just don't leave me alone."

"I won't, Alexander." _Not Yet. _Soon, he'd have to. But at least for another week, he wouldn't. At least they had one more week.

That night, before they went to sleep, Alec lit a torch and made his way through the woods, to the beach. Magnus had said that maybe, if he was very lucky, someone might see the fire just from the beach, since Magnus hadn't managed to light it in the mountain. Alec stayed at the beach for hours, till he was convinced his clock, which still marked 02.13, was right. Disappointed, he made his way back into the woods, to the cabin. He put the torch out before leaving it by the cabin, it could still be used to make a fire. He had helped Magnus into bed earlier and he smiled a bit when he looked at him. It had been over a week since he had last slept next to him in their bed and he was so glad he finally could do that again. He tried to be silent as he slipped into the bed behind Magnus and wrapped his arms around him. It didn't take long before he sleep took him away.

Magnus knew Alec was stubborn and motivated, and that he wanted to go home more than anything, but as the hours passed, Magnus pretending to be asleep while he waited for Alec to come back, he almost started wondering if Alec had tried to swim home, or if something had happened. Maybe he should go check on him, make sure he was okay… But just as he was about to get up, he heard footsteps outside, and soon enough strong arms wrapped around his waist.

Magnus waited till he heard Alec's breath even out, and then slowly got out of his grip. He wished he didn't have to, he wanted to stay there in Alecs arms and sleep all night. But the two days they could have had were spent on the way back, and the trials had to continue. Magnus couldn't let anyone know how he felt for Alec or he would risk getting him killed immediately. And he'd probably never be allowed to participate again. Not that he would want to, after this.

Alec had left his torch outside, just as he hoped Alec would and it was easy to light it. He put the burning log in between the dirt and the floor of the cabin, a perfect spot to make sure it didn't spread to the woods instead of just the house. Magnus then went back into bed next to Alec. He knew he had to, or Alec would be too confused as to why Magnus had been up and outside. Alec was a smart man and Magnus had to act on that. So he laid back down and wrapped Alecs arms around him. Then he had to wait, wait for this house to catch fire. Wait for Alec to notice. Magnus was allowed to save himself, but he couldn't wake Alec up. He couldn't warn him. Alec had to do that himself. And Magnus couldn't move before he did.

It didn't take long for the flames to eat up the walls and towards the room. Magnus knew that he had to leave the cabin once the fire hit the roof or else he would risk getting killed. He was just waiting for Alec to wake up, to save himself. With his first person this had not been this difficult. He hadn't liked him at all and they were sleeping in two cabins, the way it was supposed to be. This was not how things were planned. They were not supposed to be sharing a bed and yet there he was and he didn't wish to be anywhere else but there with Alec. He even considered just staying there and dying next to this amazing man. The trial required the cabin to be burned and possibly the sacrifice within it, but Magnus wasnt' supposed to go down.

He found that he didn't care. Whatever happened, he'd brought this upon Alec and he would bring it upon himself too.


	4. The third trial

**I'm so sorry for not updating last week! I'm the worst, I know. Last week was really stressful but i should start updating regularily now. I'll try to update two chapters next week to make up for it. Anyway, here's a gigantic chapter, hope you enjoy it!**

Seconds passed like minutes to Magnus, each one taking an eternity as he waited for Alec to get up, wake up. Magnus moved. Alec made a noise. He was waking up.

"Magnus?" He heard Alec mumbled as he sat up and looked around. "Magnus? Magnus, there's something…" Alec drifted off, and then suddenly, Magnus felt himself being picked up. Magnus had to bite the inside of his cheek to stay still and pretend he was asleep.

He was laid down on the ground, and he heard Alec run to the bucket of water they had lying around. Slowly, Magnus sat up, trying to make it look as natural as possible, like he was just waking up. "Alec? Alexander, what's going on?" He asked before looking past Alec.

The fire wasn't that big, he assumed Alec had put out most of it with the water. But it was still there, and the closest water source was at least five minutes away in each direction, so ten minutes. "Magnus, stay here," Alec said. "If it spreads, run to the beach." And then he set of running, the bucket in his hand.

Magnus didn't know what he'd been expecting, but this wasn't it. Alec carrying him out of the cabin, Alec telling him to go to the beach. Maybe the fact that he'd been hurt was a part of it, but… Alec was more worried about Magnus than he was about the cabin. Magnus didn't understand.

Magnus watched as the fire started spreading again, eating up the cabin wood. As much as Magnus wanted to run after and help, he really had hurt his ankle, and wouldn't catch up with Alec even at his fastest speed. He was left to worrying, eyes darting between where Alec had disappeared into the woods, and where the fire was slowly eating at the cabin. He knew he should feel sad about his cabin and the things in there, but he wasn't. Not even a little bit, all that mattered to him was Alec and when he finally saw him coming back, he sighed in relief and watched how he actually managed to extinguish the fire before he came back to his side.

"Are you okay?" He asked immediately, eyes sweeping over Magnus as if looking for wounds or burns.

"I'm fine, Alexander," he said. "Really, I am. But are you? You ran so fast through the woods… you could have stumbled and gotten hurt," Magnus said and looked Alec up and down, worried. "Be more careful next time, please."

"Magnus, I'm fine," Alec said. "I know the way by heart. Even in the dark, it was fine, okay?"

Magnus sighed. "As long as you're sure… I guess. I'm glad you're okay, Alexander," he said.

"Of course I am okay, you taught me everything I need to know and showed me the whole island, so as long as you are okay, I will be, too."

Magnus smiled. "I taught you well. Always remember what I told you, Alexander. Everything I've said and done is for a reason, okay? Remember it."

"Did you hit your head?" asked Alec and gently turned Magnus' head to look for an injury.

"I'm fine, Alexander. I guess I just… got worried. I mean… you could have died in the fire. We could both have died in the fire," he said.

"Yes I know… I am so sorry, I thought I had put out the torch, I was sure it was out."

"It's okay, Alexander. We'll worry about that in the morning. Right now… we have to find a place to sleep. And then tomorrow we can worry about rebuilding the cabin. I don't know if I'm gonna be of much help, considering…" Magnus looked down at himself. Before he could say anything else, Alec immediately spoke up.

"It's okay, Magnus. I'll rebuild the cabin, it's fine. You just relax and get better, okay?"

"You are amazing, do you know that?" asked Magnus and looked at Alec.

"I am really not, but you mean a lot to me," smiled Alec before he leaned in and kissed Magnus. "So… I could get you up in a tree if you think you can hold yourself up for the night?"

Magnus shook his head. "Why don't we see if we can salvage some blankets and go sleep on the beach?" He suggested instead. "I've done it a few times. It's pretty safe if we have a bonfire, and probably more comfortable than a tree anyway."

"I don't think that anything survived that fire. I took too long to get the water"

Magnus sighed but nodded. "We'll just have to share our body heat then," he said with a faint smile.

"Yeah. Guess we will."

Alec helped Magnus stand up, and then slowly they made their way to the beach. Once there, Magnus settled down while Alec went to collect some wood. Magnus started a fire, and they both settled down around it.

"I am not sure how long it will take but I will rebuild your cabin, Magnus. This was my fault and I will make sure everything will be okay again."

"I know you will, Alexander. And now we can build a bigger one. One for both of us," Magnus said. "It's not all bad."

"Maybe not, this… actually sounds good. Now lay down and sleep, your ankle needs to heal, and you need to sleep."

Magnus laid down and opened his arms. "Come on, Alexander. You need to sleep, too. And you need to keep me warm," he said, pulling him close.

Alec was more than happy to comply, and he curled close to Magnus, the bonfire burning behind them as they slowly drifted off in each other's arms.

* * *

Alec did not sleep peacefully. He felt guilty, the cabin was burned down because of him. Magnus had said it was fine, but Alec was sure he was just lying to make Alec feel better. Magnus had lived his whole life in that cabin, how was Alec supposed to build one that was even half as good? All he could do was his best, but he knew that wouldn't be enough.

When the morning woke them, Alec looked at Magnus, at least they were alive. Alec reached out and stroked over Magnus' cheek. He had been on the island for less than 3 weeks but he was in love with Magnus, he knew he loved him. Alec had never felt like this before but Magnus was his first and his last thought every day. Magnus was the reason Alec didn't go crazy, the reason he stayed on that island, instead of trying to leave to get back to his family.

Alec did miss his siblings. He thought about them every day, wondered how they were doing, wondered if they were worried about him. They probably thought he was dead already. They might have been to his funeral, they could be at his grave right now, mourning him. And that made him think of his parents. Had they been to his funeral? Had they cared at all, when they heard the news? Or were they just happy to be rid of him for good? Alec sighed and sat up.

He had to go back to the cabin, he had to see if there was anything left there, anything they could salvage. Everything had been there. Their blankets, their mattress, the bow and arrow the knives… the blades were probably still there, but they would have to make new handles. And the bow… that was what Alec was the most worried about. It was their main hunting weapon, how would they even survive without it? He was just about to leave when Magnus stirred.

"Alec?" he asked. Alec looked down at him.

"Hey… good morning," he said, smiling a bit. "I was just going to check on the cabin, to see if there was anything there," he explained. "It's better if you stay here, it'll be faster. Are you hungry? I can get you some food before I leave," he offered. Magnus shook his head.

"I'll be fine, Alexander. That sounds like a good idea. Go," he said. "And if I'm not here when you come back, I've probably just gone to get some fruits, yeah? So don't worry," he said.

"You can't move Magnus, your ankle is hurt, you should rest"

"I can manage to get around. There's a banana tree right over there, I'll get there. Go, Alexander," he said again.

"Are you sure you'll be fine?" Alec insisted.

"I know this island better than anyone. If anyone will be fine, it's me," he said.

"Okay… but be careful," Alec said and went closer again to kiss Magnus. "I love you," Alec said. He didn't even think about it for a moment before when blushed deeply. "I… I mean, I…" Magnus placed a finger over Alec's mouth to stop his stuttering.

"I love you too, Alexander. Now, go," he said, pressing one last kiss to his lips. "Go."

Alec found himself grinning as he stood up and left. Not for the first time, Alec really thought he could settle down here. It wouldn't be a long life, but it would be eventful and different, and he'd have Magnus. And if his siblings had already lost him, and his parents probably didn't care, there was no one else who would miss him. He knew his siblings would mourn him, but they would get over it. And he would miss them everyday but he had Magnus and he knew Magnus was the best thing that ever happened to him.

* * *

Magnus watched Alec leave and he waited until he was sure he couldn't see him any more. Then he stood up and went into the sea. It didn't take long before he reached his home. He was quickly surrounded by a crowd, fans of Alec wondering how he was doing, begging for news about him. Magnus shook them off. He had to find Catarina.

He figured the best way would be to go to her house. If she wasn't there, he could still let himself in and be away from the crowds of people. He really just needed to talk to his friend.

Luckily, she answered almost as soon as Magnus knocked. He stepped in and pulled her away from the door, not wanting anyone to hear what they were saying. "I told him," he said.

"You told him? Magnus, you can't do that! You know it's against the rules, if anyone finds out…" Magnus interrupted her.

"No, not that. I mean I told him that I love him. I said I love him."

"Magnus… That's a huge thing."

"I know… but he said it first."

"He loves you, too? Magnus this... I really want to congratulate you, we need to find a way to save him, what are you willing to risk for him?" she asked.

Magnus just looked at her. "Everything, Cat. Everything."

"You know the punishment for helping the sacrifice is death, Magnus. Are you willing to risk your life?"

"A thousand times if I have to," Magnus replied. Catarina sighed and nodded.

"I'll keep thinking about it. Come back in… four days, two days before the last trial. I'll have something figured out by then, okay? Now, you need to get back before Alec sees you're gone," she said.

"It will be okay, I told him I'd be looking for something to eat. He shouldn't be suspicious."

"No, but he might wonder if he sees you coming out of the water," Catarina pointed out. "Just go. You know what has to happen soon… you need to enjoy the time you have together."

"I don't want to die on him, leave him. But I have to, the trial has to go on as long as it can, so we can find a way to get him home soon and… I.. I will never see him again, will I? Even when we save him." Catarina shook her head, looking at Magnus with soft and sad eyes. She took his hand and gave it a soft squeeze.

"No, you won't," she said. "But he'll be happy. He'll be with his family. You're doing the right thing, Magnus," she said.

"I know… I know," he sighed. "I will do anything to keep him alive."

"Good… Now go back up to his side and use all the time you have while I think about what to do."

"Thank you, Catarina. I don't know what I would have done without you," Magnus said honestly, and soon after he was on his way back to the beach.

He got out of the water at a different place so he could walk back to their fireplace. When he came back, Alec was already there. "Hey," Magnus smiled.

"You shouldn't be up, Magnus," Alec said.

"I told you I would go get some breakfast. Have you had anything to eat yet?" Magnus asked, raising an eyebrow. Alec didn't reply.

"Sit down," he said instead. "I found some things for us."

Alec smiled and sat down next to Magnus. "Alright, fine… and I have good news, the bow made it and two knives" Magnus smiled.

"Perfect! Anything else? Any blankets, any of the buckets?" He asked.

"Only the one I used to put out the fire," Alec said. "No blankets. Or the pillows. We'll have to make new ones."

"I can do that, but those things can wait. The cabin is more important at the moment. We need that first and then we can start on everything else."

"Of course. I… I'm not sure how to go about it," Alec confessed. "Do you want me to get rid of the other one and build it in the same place, or build it somewhere new?" He asked.

"Somewhere new. A fresh start for both of us, how does that sound to you?" Alec smiled.

"Sounds perfect," he said.

* * *

Alec wanted to start working immediately that day, but Magnus insisted that getting food was more important because they now had nothing, none of the meat they had dried for emergencies. It was all gone. So, Alec went hunting.

Most of his day was spent with that, but in the end he got a few hares and a bird. Enough to last them two or three days. They hung some off it over the fire to cook it and then some over the smoke so they could keep it for a while. When the night came they sat at the fire and just looked at it.

"Tell me about your family, I know you won't see them again but I don't want you to forget them, you love them so much, your eyes light up when you talk about them."

A sad smile appeared on Alec's face and he sighed. "Well… I don't know if there's much more to tell. There's Isabelle, Jace, and Max. They're… the best siblings in the world. The best I could ever ask for, and I love them so much…" The hours passed in the dark, with only Alec's voice and the fire to focus on. "Thank you for listening to me, for letting me talk about them," Alec whispered after he'd gone quiet for a moment.

"Of course, Alexander. It is my pleasure. I love hearing your voice," Magnus said. They just looked at each other for a moment before Alec leaned in to kiss him again, deeply.

"I meant it, what I said earlier. I love you," Magnus said.

"I love you too, Magnus. I love you," he whispered.

* * *

Alec and Magnus spent some time wrapped in each others arms, not talking, just enjoying each others company. After what had to be an hour at least, Alec felt Magnus's breath even out, and he watched as Magnus fell asleep in his arms.

He didn't want to wake Magnus, but he needed to start working on the cabin. He needed to fix it. So he kissed Magnus and then wrote a note into the sand before he took the knifes and went into the wood to get some materials for the new cabin.

He had decided he would build it in the same spot where the cabin had been before. It was a clearing close to fresh water and close to the beach, and also surrounded by bushes and trees where food grew. It was a good spot. He just needed to tear down the remains of the building, and then start setting up another, bigger one. It would take time, but it would be worth it. If he was going to spend the rest of his life here, at least he could make it nice.

He had just collected all the wood he could find, a pile of it standing in the middle of the clearing, when he hears a sound. Alec turned, worried it was an animal. He smiled when he saw Magnus. "Hey… you're up. How do you feel?"

"Disappointed to wake up alone," Magnus said. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to rebuild the cabin," Alec said.

"Have you had breakfast yet?" Magnus asked.

"I'm fine, Magnus," Alec said.

"You need to eat, Alexander." Alec sighed.

"Fine," he said. "But only if you eat with me. Let's go back to the beach, I'll get us some fruits and we still have some meat left. But after that, I'm going to rebuild the cabin, okay?"

"Fine. But don't go crazy with all this please, I still want to spend time with you. Okay?" Alec nodded.

"Yeah. Yeah, I will. I just want to gather materials, get started," he said.

They quickly settled down around the fire. Magnus had gotten out the meat, Alec had collected some fruits and berries.

"I've been thinking about how I'm going to rebuild the cabin," Alec said as they started eating. "I'm gonna do it in the same spot," he said. "I'm gonna make it bigger, too. So we can fit a bigger bed and actually have space there… I mean, not that there was anything wrong with how it was, it was just… well, meant for one person."

"I understand you, Alexander. I definitely agree that it should be bigger. Is there anything I can help with?" Magnus asked.

"You can stay here and rest, get better," Alec said. "I'll be fine, Magnus. I built the raft, right? How much harder can this be?"

"You're right. I'm sure you'll do great," Magnus said.

"I'll make a cabin we can both live in. Together," he said.

* * *

Gathering the material took most of the day. Alec had promised Magnus to be back by dinner time, which had lost him an hour of precious time. After dinner, he'd started tearing down the remains of the other build. He'd left the floor, most of it wasn't burned and he figured he could always just replace smaller parts of it if he had to. Instead he started expanding on it, so he could get an idea of how big it would be. He had until the sun would set and he decided to try and lay out the outlines for the new cabin. He used some sticks and branches for that, moving them around a few times until he was satisfied by the look. He also tried to divide the cabin into three rooms, two larger ones and one small one, which he planned to use as a pantry. He wanted them to have a place to sleep and a place to be separated if they ever needed to be. That way neither had to go out. He looked at his plan and smiled. It looked good and he couldn't wait for it to be done, for him and Magnus to live in there together.

No matter how much he wished to be back in New York, this wasn't all bad. He had Magnus, he had a home, and if this had to be the rest of his life then so be it. It was better than he could ever have hoped for.

Alec smiled on his way back to the beach, and when he got there, he immediately pulled Magnus close to kiss him. Magnus chuckled as he pulled back. "Not that I'm complaining, but… what's going on?" He asked.

Alec smiled and pecked Magnus's lips again. "I'm happy," he said. "I never thought I could be. But I am."

"Well, I'm happy, too," Magnus said with a soft smile. "And I'm glad you are. How far did you get with the cabin?" He asked then pulling Alec down with him to sit in the sand around the fire.

"I planned it out, made some sketches and started building the floor," Alec said. "It might take some time to finish it… I'm planning to make it big," he said.

"Really? What do you plan to do? Alexander we just need a bed and a little storage for some food and tools."

"I know, but… you deserve something better. I'm going to make three rooms," Alec said. "One to sleep, one can be a… living space area, or just if we want privacy, and the last one is for food and… other stuff," he said.

"Alexander, you really don't have to do any of that. We don't need that much space, it's just a waste of your time…" Magnus started.

"I know, Magnus. I know, I just… want to make something good for you. Please, let me do this."

"I can't help you at all and I would much rather just spend time with you."

"You could be nearby, we could talk while I work," Alec suggested. "Please? I just want to make it up to you."

"Kiss me again and I'll consider it," Magnus said.

Alec rolled his eyes but did press his lips to Magnus's. "I'm still going to make it big," he said. "Okay, you can't stop me. At least be supportive."

"Fine. Whatever you want, Alexander."

"Thank you. And I promise I'll be as quick as possible."

"We will spend every evening here together at the fire, promise me that. I can't have you work so long and you need to eat, Alec you need to get food."

"We still have some from the other day, right? I'll eat some of that, and tomorrow I'll go hunting again," he said.

"You didn't promise."

"I promise, Magnus. We'll spend every evening here."

"And…"

"And I'll eat every meal. With you."

"Good. Now come here," Magnus said, grabbing his waist to pull him closer.

Alec chuckled and leaned against Magnus. "I… I never thought I would feel like this, you know? I still miss my home but it's okay. You make it okay and... I am actually happy… I just want you to know how much that means. How much you mean."

"I love you, Alexander. It's important for me that you are happy. And I feel like it is my job to keep you like that. If you ever need anything… I'm here. You know that, right?"

"I know Magnus. And same goes for you. I love you," he said, kissing Magnus's cheek.

"Now go to sleep, you've worked so much today, you need to rest."

"I'll be fine, Magnus. "

"I'm serious, Alexander. Let me tell you what is good for you. You take such good care of me all the time, let me do that for you."

"I'm not really used to that, Maguns. I'm the oldest, I always had to look after my siblings, help my parents and of course they did look after me but… I am used to doing things on my own and caring for others."

"Well, that's not how it should be," Magnus Said. "You deserve someone taking care of you as well."

Alec smiled softly. "I don't think I'll be able to convince you not to anyway," he said. Even if it felt weird, he loved the way Magnus insisted on taking such good care of him. It made him feel special. Alec remembered for a moment that other than his mother, who Magnus said had died over ten years ago, Alec was the only other person Magnus had ever met. Of course he was special to Magnus, anyone who landed on this island would be. Magnus had never known anything else. Alec sighed, but quickly covered it up with a yawn. He didn't want Magnus to worry. "You're right," he said. "I'm exhausted." Alec laid back in the sand and closed his eyes. "Come on, let's sleep." Magnus simply smiled and nodded, unaware of what was going through Alecs head. He fell asleep quickly, but Alec stayed up hearing his soft breaths, feeling them tickling his neck, until eventually, pure exhaustion took him away.

* * *

When Magnus woke up the next morning, barely after dawn, he was alone. There was a small pile of fruits where Alec had been before, and Magnus quickly noticed the bow and arrows were gone. Alec had gone hunting, like he promised. Magnus sighed.

He knew it was good that Alec was motivated, it was important for him to be. But he didn't want them to drift apart because of this, especially not when they had less than a week together, before Alec would be on his own. Magnus hoped Cat would have a plan by then, but either way, he would never see Alec again. He knew that, and despite how much it hurt him, he knew he had to do it. Alec deserved better than this, he deserved a chance at a real life. And Magnus was going to give him that, no matter what it took. So he took a piece of fruit and then started making his way to the clearing, where Alec was planning to make the cabin. He could already imagine how the cabin would look and he wished he could live there, with Alec. But he couldn't. He had to save him, and for that, he had to let him go.

He had thought about running away with Alec, build them both a raft that wouldn't sink, leave everything he knew and go with Alec. It was terrifying, how much he meant to him after just a few weeks.

But Magnus knew he could never leave. His home was in the sea. Even if he could live on land for a while, eventually he'd have to go back or he would dry out and die.

No, he had to send Alec back alone, he knew that. At least that way he could live with himself, knowing Alec was happy.

Magnus stood for a few minutes, dreaming about what could have been as he waited for Alec to come back. When he didn't, he picked up the axe and started to take down a small tree. His ankle was still a bit swollen but it would be fine and it didn't hurt anymore, unless he stood on that foot for too long.

He knew Alec would not be happy, he kept insisting that Magnus had to rest. But Magnus knew his own limits, and all he wanted was for the damned cabin to just be done already, so he could go back to spending time with Alec.

Magnus went on for a little while, until he heard noises coming from the woods and turned to see Alec step into the clearing.

"Magnus? What are you doing here?" He asked immediately, dropping the few hares he had to come closer to Magnus. "You're hurt, you should be resting," he said.

"Alexander, I'm fine," Magnus said. "It doesn't hurt anymore, and I didn't want to just sit around while you do all the work," he said. "You told me yesterday you wanted to build a big cabin to repay me for the other one, so I want to do the same. I want to help you as thanks for building this in the first place. Please."

Alec was silent for a moment before he nodded slowly. "Okay, fine. You can help. But if it hurts at all, I want you to stop immediately and rest, okay? And I don't want you to lie to me about it not hurting if it does."

"Okay. I promise, Alexander. I'll let you know if it hurts. Now, what do you want me to do?"

"Well… what you are doing actually looks good, keep it up with that."

"What are you gonna do?" Magnus asked then, looking over at the outline of the cabin.

"I was thinking I could start with the floor," Alec said. "Get a good view of where I need to build, you know? And then I'll do the walls and the roof afterwards."

"Sounds like you have a plan then," Magnus smiled. "Let's not waste any more time," he said and turned back to the tree he was cutting to pieces. He felt good about helping Alec and he hoped this would mean things would move faster. If he was honest with himself then he knew that this cabin took too long and it wouldn't be done in time but at this moment he pushed those thoughts aside and focused on the work he had in front of him.

He didn't know how long they were there but when the sun began to set, Alec managed to do a lot of the floor and Magnus had cut enough trees to cover the rest. He was proud of himself and of Alec.

"Alexander…. We should go back to the beach and get to sleep. It has been a long day." Alec barely even looked up.

"Why don't you go ahead? I'd like to finish the floor today," he said.

"Alexander, you promised to spend the evening with me at the beach, remember?"

Alec was silent for a moment before he sighed and looked up. "I know, I just want to finish real quick. I'll catch up with you…" he insisted.

"It's taken you hours to get that far, and you still have at least a quarter of the floor left. It'll take you hours," he said. "Come on, Alexander. You wouldn't be doing me any good if you worked yourself to death. Please come to the beach with me"

"Fine, fine. I'm coming," Alec sighed and stood up. "But I'll finish tomorrow, okay? No matter how long it takes."

Magnus nodded. "Deal," he said. "But I will help you as much as I can to make sure you are done soon enough. I want to spend cuddling time with you, Alexander."

"I know, I know. I want that too, you know. I just really want to finish this before some bad weather comes around. We've been lucky till now, but eventually rain will come and I will prefer to have a roof over must head by then," he said.

"And we will," Magnus assured him. "I promise, okay? Everything is going to be okay. I promise. Just come with me to the beach."

"I'm coming." Alec walked up to Magnus and Magnus went to peck his lips. He frowned when Alec turned away and continued on his path, not looking back to see if Magnus followed. Surely Alec couldn't be that mad about Magnus wanting him to take a break, what was going on? He sighed and followed Alec through the narrow path that led to the beach.

Magnus wasn't sure what to do, he supposed he'd have to talk to Alec. He didn't want things to get sour between them, not when they had so little time left.

Not when they'd had so little time to begin with. He didn't care if their fairytale lasted only a month, he didn't care that it wouldn't have the happy ending Magnus had dreamed of his whole life. But he couldn't allow it to get tragic before the ending, even if he knew it had been a sad story from the very first word. There was no good way for the story to end, he knew that. He just didn't think it would end so fast.

Magnus made up his mind then. This was destined for tragedy, but Magnus wouldn't let that happen before he had no other choice. "Alexander!" he called, speeding up a bit to catch up with him. "Wait up. I want to talk to you," he said. "What's wrong?" he asked as he caught up."Why did you do that, earlier?"

"Do what?" Alec asked, eyes staring straight ahead.

"I was going to kiss you," Magnus said. "And you ignored me and walked away. Why?"

Alec was silent for a long time, so long Magnus was sure he wasn't going to reply at all. In a way, he was right. Alec's answer was no answer at all. "I guess I didn't notice," he said. "I'm tired. Let's just go to sleep." The last few minutes were silent, even as Magnus prayed for Alec to say something, anything. He'd rather have Alec scream and yell than do absolutely nothing. He'd rather know exactly what was going on, exactly how he could help, then have only a feeling that something was wrong. Magnus knew he needed to see Catarina that night. He needed to speak to her, she always knew what to do. She could help him figure this out. And hopefully she had a plan on how to save Alec.

The two of them reached the beach and Alec immediately started the fire before he sat down and then looked at Magnus. "This was your idea so… you coming?"

Magnus looked at him. "We don't have to cuddle if you don't want to," he said, looking at Alec carefully. "I just thought you could need a break. Why don't you just sleep?" He suggested, lying down a little away from Alec.

"I never said I didn't want to," Alec said, frowning.

"Well, no. But you didn't want a kiss earlier, and this morning you were gone when I wake up, so I just assumed you wouldn't want to." Magnus knew he wasn't making this any better, but Alec was so obsessed with paying him back for the cabin that he didn't stop for long enough to realize he was making everything worse, everything more difficult. All Magnus wanted was to have Alec close, because he knew they had too little time left. But Alec… Alec thought they were stuck there forever. Of course he thought they had time. Magnus just wished he could tell him the truth, but he knew he couldn't. Alec would never trust him again if he did. Even worse, Alec would probably hate him, this was a sacrificing ritual after all and Magnus was the reason Alec was in it.

If Alec knew Magnus was the one who had taken him away from his ship, away from his job and his family, away from his siblings who needed him… Magnus didn't even know what he'd do. Most likely he'd try to run again. He'd try to build a raft, or even swim if he had to. And there were rules on what to do if that happened, if one of the offers tried to run away during the trials, he'd be chased down and pulled to the bottom, and eventually, he would drown. Magnus could not let that happen. He just needed to be patient, and he needed to speak to Cat.

"Get here now and cuddle me, Magnus," Alec insisted, pulling Magnus out of his thoughts.

Magnus hesitated only for a moment before he complied, shuffling so he was close to Alec. He pulled him down to lie next to him. "You'll tell me if there's something wrong, right? You'll tell me if something is bothering you."

"I'm fine, Magnus. Nothing's bothering me." Alec's eyes clearly stated otherwise. Magnus knew there was something. But he stayed silent. Eventually Alec would talk to him, Magnus just hoped it was sooner rather than later. They had little time left and Magnus did not want to spend that with unspoken things between them.

"Goodnight, then, Alexander," he murmured, kissing Alec's cheek softly.

"Goodnight," Alec replied, eyes slipping close as Magnus felt his whole body relax. Alec needed sleep or he wouldn't have any strength left when the last trial came. Magnus held him in his arms and kissed his cheek. He wished things were different. Once Magnus was sure that Alec was sleeping he stood up and went into the water to get to Cat and learn about the plan she hopefully had.

On his way to Cat's, Magnus saw that the preparations for the offering had already started. In the centre, where a few weeks earlier Magnus and the others had presented their offers, there was now a huge rock with chains deep inside it, put there by magic and only removable by magic. And not the kind of magic anyone had, not the kind you taught kids that let you change the current of the sea, or that let you talk to the fish and any other living thing, not the kind of magic that was taught in the schools, where they learned to shed their tails, or to change its colour. This kind of magic was the one only the oldest, wisest men had. It was the same kind of magic that protected their home from the humans, the kind of magic that could make a plant or a fish grow in just a few seconds. Only a few people could get Alec out if he was ever put in those chains, and Magnus knew none of them ever would.

But they wouldn't let it get that far. Cat had a plan, or she would make one, and they'd save Alec before it got that far. Maybe they could fake his death during the third trial, or maybe take a similar man from another ship and switch them out. Magnus didn't know what Cat had planned, and he didn't care. As long as it could save Alec, that was all that mattered.

When he reached her home he knocked and then waited for her to open the door for him. She smiled at him as she opened the door. "Come on in," she said and quickly closed the door behind him. It felt like she had a plan that she wanted to keep secret and Magnus was more than excited to hear it.

"Well?" He inquired when she said nothing. "Come on, I know you have a plan. Tell me."

"I will, but let's just sit down first," she said, pulling Magnus with her to a couch.

"Alec needs to win," she said. "And he needs to be taken down here, as normal."

"What? No, the whole point is to avoid that!" Magnus exclaimed, standing up. Cat grabbed his hand to pull him back down and shushed him.

"Let me finish, please. The spell they use to keep him alive till they can chain him is fairly simple. It lasts for about half an hour. There will be a crowd watching, right? And you'll have the special seat with the council. I'll be in the crowd, as far in the front as possible, and when the spell starts wearing out, I'll reapply it. No one will notice, don't worry. After a while then crowd will begin to thin out, they'll get bored. You can make some excuse about feeling sick and leave, and while the whole council is busy, you can go through the forbidden part of the library in the castle and see if you find the spell to undo the chains. People will leave when he doesn't die, they'll get bored. And once night falls, everyone will probably be gone and we can sneak him out."

Magnus was silent for a long moment. It wasn't completely stupid, but there were so many loopholes… "what if they start suspecting that something is wrong and take Alec away? Or if they see you, somehow, applying the spell… it's never happened before that the spell lasted for more than an hour at most, and if he's put there around midday, there'll be several hours before night."

"But spells often last longer if the caster is more powerful. You know the whole council is full of arrogant men, they'll only be happy to see the spell last so long. And if anyone says something, he'll take it as an insult to his magic. I'm sure no one would dare speak up to him."

"You are sure this will work? I mean… this is so dangerous… how successful do you think this will be? Honestly?"

Cat sighed. "I don't know, Magnus. It's never been done before, any of this. I considered pretending he died during the last trial, but you know you won't be allowed inside the wards of his island or he'll be killed and you'll be punished. And if I go, they'll suspect something is up."

"So this is our only chance… and you are sure you can do that spell? Will you get help from someone? Like Ragnor, maybe? And what if I can't find the spell?"

"I already asked Ragnor if he could search the library while you were all watching the offering. I… I can't blame him for refusing. It's dangerous, and I don't think he understands how much it means to you. How much Alec means to you. Maybe you should talk to him yourself? He might listen to you."

"I will… what about Raphael?"

"He… thinks we've both gone mad," Catarina sighed. "He's studied every rule book there is, he knows we can get in serious trouble for just considering this. He said he'd stay silent about what I told him, but… I don't know if we can convince him. You could give it a try, it you want. It wouldn't hurt."

"Okay… I will... I think I should do that now but… I have another question first… he's mad at me, or at least I know there is something…. He doesn't tell me though… what can I do?"

"He's mad at you? Just a few days ago you told me he said he loved you."

"I know. I… he still does, I just. Since this morning, he's been acting... stiff."

"Stiff? Stiff how?"

"I don't know… well, he leaves before I wake up in the morning. It feels like he doesn't want to talk to me. Earlier today I went to kiss him and he turned away. That was what convinced me that something was wrong," Magnus said.

Cat hummed as she thought about it. " I don't have anything to tell you. Just try to talk to him, maybe he's feeling unsure or Insecure about something," she said with a shrug.

Magus nodded. " Yeah, you're right. I'll talk to him," he said.

"Don't waste your last days together, Magnus."

* * *

Magnus rose out of the water, his tail glowed for a moment before the scales left with the current and dissolved into the water. Magnus walked up to the beach, he could see the fire and Alec's silhouette on the ground, and he sighed. He needed to find out what was wrong, and he needed to make it right. Alec and him only had two days left together, and Magnus couldn't waste them. He refused to.

He walked over to Alec and sat down next to him. He brushed a stray lock of hair away from his face. "I love you, Alexander," he whispered. "I'm gonna get you out of this, I promise." Magnus leaned down and pressed his lips against Alec's, his heart breaking at the thought that he would never see him again. In just two days, Alec would be gone.

But at least he would be happy. That was all that mattered, that he was happy. And he could get a safe job, on land, and he and his siblings could be together, and eventually he would find someone else and that was all that mattered… that was all that mattered.

* * *

The fire was out when Alec woke up. The sun was just starting to rise, and the air was cold. But none of that mattered to Alec. Magnus was there, next to him. Despite everything, Alec got a happy feeling in his chest when he saw him lying next to him. Despite knowing Magnus probably didn't feel the same, and if he did, it was for completely different reasons. According to Magnus, he'd only ever met his mother, Alec couldn't get over the fact that he was the only person Magnus had met. Some people might have found it romantic, but Alec… Alec didn't know what to think.

But if he and Magnus were doomed to spend the rest of their lives there, Alec wasn't about to start a fight between them. He just needed to get over it. He loved Magnus, more than he'd ever thought it was possible to love anyone. Sure, he loved his siblings, but this was… different. Not that he loved Magnus more, just in a different way. Izzy had told him it'd feel like this. Alec had never believed her. Now, he didn't get to tell her about Magnus. He didn't get to tell her he'd finally given love a chance.

Alec sighed and sat up. There was still a lot of work to do with the cabin. After he'd fixed the cabin, he'd take time to think about this, to sort it out. He just wanted to fix his mistake, to pay Magnus back for everything he'd done. Alec didn't know their time together was nearing the end.

* * *

Magnus woke up alone. The only thing that indicated Alec had been there at all was the pile of fruit next to him, and the imprint in the sand of where he'd slept, and his footsteps going towards the woods. Towards the cabin.

Magnus let out a sigh and flopped back into the sand. Their last full day together and Alec was ignoring him. He just wanted to have him close, go swimming with him, maybe take a walk through the woods. He wanted to sit around the fireplace and grill fish with him, and when night came he wanted to cuddle in the dark and watch the stars. He wanted their last day to be perfect, even if Alec wouldn't remember any of it.

But Alec wasn't there. He'd probably left at the crack of dawn, while Magnus was still sleeping deeply.

He sighed but then stood up and went over to the place where Alec planned to build the cabin, he would spend time with him, no matter how.

Magnus had to call his name a few times before Alec looked up. "How long have you been working, Alexander? You must be getting hungry," he said. Alec shrugged.

"It's only been a few hours. I'm fine," he said. Magnus approached to see what he was doing. He was measuring the length of a tree trunk using a stick.

"There are no rulers, so I found out I needed another five lengths of this stick for the floor. It's a slow process, but it works," Alec explained. Magnus placed a hand on his bicep.

"Don't you wanna take a break? You're so warm, we should go swimming, get refreshed," he suggested.

"I need to get this ready for us Magnus. I have to build us this place. A safe space for us to live," said Alec and smiled at Magnus before he leaned in to kiss him.

"There is no rush, darling. Please take a break and enjoy the moment with me."

Alec bit his lip as he thought about it, then slowly nodded. "Fine. But just for a moment," he said. "We're not going swimming, but I'll accept that apple, if you're not gonna eat it," Alec said and nodded towards the apple in Magnus's hand. Magnus had brought it with Alec in mind, and immediately handed it to him. He took his other hand to pull him into the shadow of a tree, and they sat down together.

"I really appreciate you doing this for me, you know. But I also appreciate spending time with you, and I don't want to sacrifice one for another. Don't you think we could come to some kind of agreement? Maybe one day you work on the cabin, and one day you spend with me?" he suggested. That way, Alec could spend today with him, and tomorrow while he worked on the cabin, Magnus could go through the plan with Catarina.

"And you want me to spend today with you and do nice things?" asked Alec.

"I would love that, Alexander. It would mean more to me than you can imagine."

"Okay. I mean, if it's that important to you… but that means I'll get to work all day tomorrow," he said.

Magnus nodded and smiled, so thankful Alec had said yes. He needed to say goodbye properly, even if Alec didn't know it was a goodbye.

"So...swimming it is then?" he asked.

Alec grinned. "Yeah." He stood up and took Magnus's hand, and they walked through the woods through the closest lake, and they swam. And Magnus never looked away from Alec, never stopped thinking of him not even for a second. Alec was happy. He was smiling, laughing. But he would be happier back on land, in his home, with his family. Magnus would give him his old life back, and he didn't doubt that one day Alec would be as happy as he was now with someone else.

* * *

Night came around in the blink of an eye. Alec hadn't realized how much he missed spending time with Magnus until now. He had completely forgotten about every doubt he had, Magnus made him forget everything. Nothing mattered except that they were together.

When it got dark, Magnus insisted on putting out the fire, cuddling up tight into each other, and watch the stars. Alec was glad he agreed. Despite having been on the island for almost a month, he'd never looked at the sky like he did that night. And it was a beautiful sight, the stars were bright and clear, and Magnus told him all about the different constellations. Alec fell asleep to the sound of his voice, completely at peace with the thought of living the rest of his life like this.


	5. The third trial part 2

The next morning, Alec was gone. They had made a deal, so it was only fair that Alec got his part of it. But Magnus was a little hurt he'd rush off without even waiting for him to wake up, after everything they'd done the day before. He sighed. Well, he had been planning to talk to Cat anyway, so he got up and started walking towards the water. They needed to figure out every little detail of the plan. Today, Magnus would die. In a few days, the sacrifice was happening. Magnus was sure Alec would be the last survivor. With Alec's skill with the bow, his will to never give up… he would be fine. And then Magnus would save him and get him home safely .

Magnus quickly made his way to Catarina's. She had been expecting him. Ragnor and Raphael were there as well. Magnus spent almost an hour trying to convince them to help him, to help Alec. Neither liked the idea, not of breaking the rules and not of helping a sacrifice. But Magnus refused to fail because his two best friends gave up on him. He wouldn't. So he convinced them. It did take some time but in the end they both agreed to help, they could see how much this meant to Magnus and they loved him so they would help. Magnus was so grateful to have these people in his life.

They went through the plan. Keep Alec breathing under the water till the crowds cleared, and then get him away and in a boat. It was easy enough to explain. Actually doing it, though… that could be harder.

"So… just to be clear… you love him and we are doing this so you can wipe his memory and never see him again?" asked Raphael, just as Magnus was about to leave.

Magnus sighed as he turned to him. "If the alternative is to watch him die, then yes. He can't remember any of what he saw here, or people would think he was crazy. So we need to wipe his memory. And it's best to just make him forget me as well. It's best for both of us. It's not that I want to do this, but it's the only solution. Thank you all for helping me. I'm really thankful."

No one said anything. Magnus closed the door behind him. He needed to get back before Alec found out he was gone. He didn't think he would, Alec probably wouldn't take a break before Magnus went and dragged him away from the work. The next part would be difficult. Magnus had to die, or at least let Alec believe he was dead. He knew how to do that but it didn't make it any easier to leave Alec.

The easiest way to go was drowning. Almost everyone did that. They made their human watch as they swam into the deep, and then disappeared. It always worked perfectly. Magnus wished it wouldn't. Just this time, let Alec not fall for it. Let him understand that Magnus was fine… Magnus swam up to the top. Alec was nowhere to be seen in the beach. He sighed but then went to the place where Alec was building the new cabin.

"Hey," he called and moved over. "How are you doing?" he asked.

Alec looked up. "It's my day today, Magnus," he said. "You said I'd get to work all day today."

"Relax, Alexander. I'm not here to make you stop. I just wanted to keep you company," Magnus said, settling down on a rock in the shadow of a tree. "And you'll still have to stop to eat and rest, I didn't say you could work literally all day," he reminded him. Alec shrugged.

"Sure. I'll eat when I'm hungry." He looked up again. "Are you just gonna stay there staring at me?" Magnus frowned.

"Why? Do you want me to leave?" he asked. Alec shrugged again.

"I guess it doesn't make a difference." Magnus didn't know what he meant, but he couldn't deny that it made something ache inside of him. It was their last day together and Alec was all but ignoring him. He almost wanted to break down and just cry, but he didn't. He shut his mouth, bit his lip, and stayed silent, at least for a while. "I love you, you know… and so...I'll leave you, have fun here, I'll go swimming…. Probably see you later." He needed Alec to go to the beach, but he still had the rest of the day… He would avoid it for as long as he could.

"You don't have to, I mean you can but I wouldn't mind if you stayed, actually."

"I wouldn't want to disturb you," Magnus said.

"I could use your help so please stay, alright? I enjoy your company."

"Fine…" Magnus sighed. "But only if we both go swimming, later. I will help you and in the end we will have some fun... And we stop working before it gets dark, how does that sound?" Alec was silent for a moment, but then nodded.

"But," he said. "Only if I can use some of tomorrow to work, to catch up on what I don't do today," he said. Magnus almost cried.

"Yeah. You can get all the time you want tomorrow, Alexander."

"Oh come on, this is for us, Magnus. Don't pout, especially since this is about tomorrow, let's enjoy today," Alec said,and reached out to squeeze Magnus's arm.

Magnus forced a smile. "Yeah. Yeah, of course. Let's not think about tomorrow. Today is all that matters."

Alec smiled and kissed Magnus gently. "I love you,too. By the way. Now let's work on the cabin, yeah? This is our future"

"Yeah. But… let's not forget the present. It's just as important. You never know what could happen... "

Alec frowned. "Are you alright Magnus?" he asked. "You seem… tense."

"I'm fine," Magnus assured him with a soft smile. "Just… maybe a little tired," he said.

" Maybe you should rest then… while I work."

Magnus shook his head. "No, no. I'm fine. Come on, what do you need me to do?" he asked.

Soon they figured out how to work together and Magnus wished the day would never end, he knew Alec could sense that something was wrong but he hoped it would not show too much. He took Alecs hand as the sun began to set.

"Come on, you promised" he said. Magnus was glad that it was starting to get dark and he also looked to other way, to hide how upset he was. Those were their last moments together.

He had planned what he was going to say, but as they stood on the beach and he said he was going for a swim, he suddenly forgot it all.

"I love you so much," he eventually said and made sure to kiss Alec deeply before he moved backwards into the water.

"I love you too," Alec said, frowning as Magnus backed into the water. "It's getting dark, Magnus. Don't go too far away. I'll make a fire so you can easily spot me, yeah?" Magnus nodded, and then turned his back to Alec and walked down the water.

Shifting was an instinct, especially in salt water. Magnus had to fight the instinct to keep his legs. At least till he was far enough away for Alec not to see anything.

After a few more steps, he saw a small fire starting at the beach. It was so sweet how Alec wanted him to find his way back. Magnus wished he would. He wished he had stepped out of the water, gone back, taken Alec into his arms and hugged him tightly. He wished he was stronger than this, he wished he could go directly against the rules. But he couldn't, it would only get them both killed and so he eventually dipped under the water and stayed there. He wasn't sure when Alec would notice but he it shouldn't be long.

Magnus swam a little further away before sticking his head out of the water. It was dark enough that Alec wouldn't see him from this far away, but he could see Alec's silhouette against the fire. And he could distantly hear his name being called in Alec's beautiful voice. He would never hear it again. He didn't want to but eventually the tears started to fall down, especially when Alec moved into the water and kept calling his name.

He should swim back. He should take Alec into his arms and tell him the truth. He should take him away immediately, get him safe. But instead, he sunk into the water, till he was so deep Alec would never find him. He would never see him again.

* * *

Alec walked up the beach with a slight smile on his face. He had hope for the future, here with Magnus. They would finish their cabin and Alec could get used to life like this, as long as Magnus would always be there. He set to work on lighting a fire, so Magnus wouldn't get lost on the beach as it got darker.

Alec turned to watch Magnus once he got the fire going. He could barely see him in the darkness, he could only see the outline of him against the dark sky. He saw him go deeper and deeper, and then disappear into the water. He'd found that Magnus would always go under the water, whenever they went swimming. He really loved it, to be under the water, to explore the bottom of the lake and swim along the sand of the ocean. Alec thought nothing of it.

But then, nothing happened. He waited for Magnus to come back up and nothing happened. A minute passed, two. Nothing. Alec stood up. "Magnus? Are you there?" He called, already feeling dread bubble up inside him.

"Magnus!" he shouted again. No reply.

"Magnus, this isn't funny. I get it, I'll spend more time with you. Just please come back! Magnus!" No reply. "Magnus!" Alec yelled, screamed. He ran into the water, his clothes got soaked but he didnt care. He didn't stop yelling, calling out, desperately listening for an answer. The sun was long gone when he forced himself back to the fore, salt water kept running down his face even as he'd left the water, tears burning his eyes.

Alec didn't know what to think. He felt like he was back at that day again, waking up in the middle of the night to blaring alarms, being surrounded by water, drowning… expect this time he was drowning in emotions, the feeling of loss.

Magnus was gone… Magnus, the last person left in his life, was gone.

He was alone, he had lost the one reason to live on this island, the one reason that kept him there.

Magnus had helped him from day one. He'd showed him a home, he'd showed him where to get water, where to get fruit, he'd taught him the best ways to hunt and what kind of fruits he could eat and couldn't. Alec knew he would be dead without Magnus. He had never liked this place but Magnus had made it his home, and now he was gone. Drowned and Alec just couldn't believe it. All the time he had spent building their cabin. A place for them to live, with their cat maybe. Those plans they had made and now he was alone. Time seemed to stand still and fly by at the same time. Alec didn't know what to do, how to feel or what to think. But eventually he decided that he would not die there. He would not get old on this island, not alone and with all those memories. He had built a raft once, he could do that again and this time, it didn't matter if a storm was coming. He would not try to get back, he'd rather drown in the ocean and if he was lucky his body would sink down to be with Magnus's again.

Alec started moving immediately. After standing motionless for hours, he almost tripped and his sight went black for a moment, but then he caught up and started moving quickly. He already had some planks tied together that were going to act as wall, he could use that. It would work. It had to. And if it didn't… well, too bad.

His siblings already thought he was dead. His parents probably didn't care. Magnus was gone and there was no one else who would miss him. It didn't matter if he lived or died, no one would ever even know. He had already lived longer than he was supposed to. Maybe this was a suicide mission but what was there to live for anymore? If he made it back to his home, then he would have his siblings again at least, but on this island, there was nothing anymore.

Alec got everything ready, he could at least think of that. He got his raft, some food, a knife. Necessities. They had collected everything that had survived the fire and tied it up in a tree, so the animals wouldn't get to it. Out of the corner of his eye, Alec saw something shining. One of Magnus's rings. Without thinking, Alec slipped it on his finger. A reminder. He didn't want to forget Magnus. He wanted to keep him close.

Since he had no idea what time it was he just decided to leave without worrying about that. Alec had added a sail to his raft and had made it a bit more sturdy. He also went back to their new cabin and looked around, hoping to see Magnus or anything else he needed but of course he wouldn't see Magnus again. And he already had all the things he needed so he went back to the raft, pushed it into the water and got on it to start his journey home.

* * *

He only sailed for a few hours before the sun started to set. He could still see the island, a tiny little spot in the distance. Everything had been going fine until now. The wind started picking up, pushed Alec in the opposite direction. This far out on the ocean, the waves were soon taller than Alec himself, and it was all he could do to hang on to the mast. He'd been confident before that if he went under, he wouldn't care. But now that it actually might happen… he didn't want to die. He wanted to go home, he wanted to hug his siblings and wanted their support and wanted them to know he was alive, wanted them to know he'd never stopped thinking of them.

A wave landed on top of him. Alec was soaked from head to toe and it didn't take long before he started shivering. The food was tied to his back with a blanket, the knife was tucked into his belt, which he'd had since he got on the island. Alec felt some apples roll out and saw them sink into the water, disappearing between the waves. Alec had been at sea for a week when the ship went under, he was thousands of miles away from any coast. His only chance was for someone to find him out here, or he would die for sure. He had barely had food for two days, now… he was going to die out here. It was a constant switch between accepting death and wishing he would make it, expecting he would make it. This whole thing was a rollercoaster of emotions.

At some point, it started raining. Not that Alec noticed the difference, but he did hear the thunder of a lightning storm approaching. He forced his eyes open. A flash of light in the darkness. One, two… it was close, too close. And this was too much like the day he'd gone under, the day he'd come to the island. Dark, lightning, thunder. He was supposed to have died that night. To make up for it, he would die now. In a way, Alec was sure he was going to die this night but he still held on to his post, hoping he would somehow survive. He held onto the few things he still had and closed his eyes. There was nothing he could and so he prayed. Begged to survive this.

Soon a wave washed over him again, this time he lost his grip on the pole and with that Alec accepted to die, he didn't even try to swim up. He just tried to relax and not feel the pain of the water coming into his lungs. It burned but he didn't move. He merely closed his eyes and tried to ignore everything. He lost consciousness after a few moments, being sure that this was his end.

* * *

Magnus disappeared under the water. He swam quickly, so as to not regret his decision. He couldn't turn back now, he couldn't. This was how it ended. Now he saved Alec, and that was it. The end. He swam to Catarina's. This was all planned out, every single second of it. At midnight, someone would be sent to see how the candidates were doing, if anyone had died yet. Then there would be checkups every ten hours, until they had their last survivor, their sacrifice. This could take a day, or it could take a month, but eventually, everyone but one died.

Catarina wasn't home. Magnus had known she wouldn't be. He made himself at home and tried to keep calm. At least for a while. He knew Cat would check on Alexander and Ragnor would, too. At least for a little bit so Magnus found some sleep. It was restless but it was sleep. It was the best he was going to get in a while.

Catarina still wasn't home when Manus woke up. Despite knowing it was against th rules, Magnus had to see how Alec was going. It was already the next day so he hoped Alec would have understood the situation and was getting used to it, or at least accepting it.

Magnus came out of the water a little away from the shore. He could see Alec working on something. He seemed to have a blanket and food, and…. A raft? He wasnt trying to leave, surely? He couldn't leave, it would get him killed.

But Magnus couldn't interfere, Alec couldn't see him. He needed Cat, he needed to let her know. She could help him.

Magnus swam back to tell her, feeling fear and worry bubbling inside him. He couldn't let Alec leave, or he would die. No one could enter or leave their territory without permission, and Aled didn't have it.

Cat told him it would be fine. He would realize how stupid it was to try and leave, he'd already tried once. It wasn't the first time one of the last survivors thought of leaving. But he wouldn't. Somehow, Magnus believed her.

A few hours later, Ragnor came by. "I saw him headed into the woods," he said. "It looked like he had been putting together a raft, but I think he gave up," he said. Magnus was assured by his words but he still wanted to see him again, see for himself that Alec was going to stay at the island. This was crucial for the plan to work out. What were they supposed to do when Alec was leaving? Luckily this happened in between the check ups so at least nobody would know Alec was gone.

When Magnus went up to check, he was still there. He didn't see Alec, but he saw the raft at beach yet. Hours later, after the sun had set, Raphael went to check. And the raft was gone.

"What do you mean he and the raft are gone?" shouted Magnus.

"I mean it's not there anymore," Raphael said. "I circled the whole island, I even went on land. He's not there anymore."

"Well then why are you just standing there? We need to find him!" Magnus didn't wait for the others, but raced out and swam to the top immediately. Why had Alec done that? Magnus had to find him, or they both be in trouble. He didn't know what to do if Alec was going to die. Why did he ever let him out of sight? Even for one minute. How long ago had he left, how far could he have come? Magnus looked and rushed to swim in every direction to find Alec. What worried him even more was that it looked like a thunder storm was coming up.

"Listen… we are going to split up, if you find him, just get him to the closest land you find, and make him forget everything. Do you get that? Please, we need to make sure he comes out of that storm alive. I'm counting on you, please help him. I don't know what I'd do if he died now."

Magnus was so relieved when all his friends nodded and quickly set on their way, and he went in his own direction. The sea was so big, and they had no idea how long ago Alec had left. He could be anywhere now, even… he could already be dead. But Magnus didn't want to think about that. He refused to think about it. He would save him, he had to. No matter what it took.

The water felt colder than ever, cold enough to make all of him shiver. The rain didn't help. He had to stay above water if he was going to see Alec in the dark, and with all the waves. He needed to see him, he couldn't risk losing him, or going past him. If he found out Alec had been right next to him when he… he would never forgive himself.

It took hours. The storm only got worse and worse, till even Magnus could barely see. He didn't know what to do. He needed to find Alec, he needed to save him.

He had given up. He was too far away, he'd never find Alec here. Alec probably wouldn't even have made it this far, not with the storm. But then, he saw something. Something red in the blue ocean. An apple. And then another one. And an orange. And then a blanket. And then… "Alexander."

It looked like he'd already been under water for a while, for too long. It was a lot like it had been the first time he had seen Alexander. The situation was far too familiar, he just hoped Alec would still be alive. Magnus swan even faster, grabbed Alec and moved above the water.

"Don't you dare die on me now, Alexander. Don't you dare," he muttered, struggling to hold Alec up through all the waves. Storms had never bothered him before, but he'd always been deep under water, where all you had to do was enjoy the show of the waves from underneath. He'd never thought it would be this hard.

He looked around, trying to find land, a boat, anything. Nothing he could see at the moment. He felt so helpless, especially since he still wasn't sure if Alec was really alive. But after a few more moments he saw Alecs raft, it was almost broken but it was still intact enough so Magnus could lay on top and finally check if he was alive. His pulse was very weak and his breathing shallow but Alec was alive, although Magnus wasn't sure how long he would stay like this without help.

He couldn't see anything in this darkness, and with the rain hitting his face. He might as well have been searching with his eyes closed.

He tried desperately to keep Alec on the raft, but the waves kept turning it over. He lost count of the times he had to push Alec up on the other side. It had just happened again when he spotted it. A light. It came from nowhere, a little light in the distance. But it wasn't a star, it wasn't the moon, it certainly wasn't the sun. And there hadn't been land there earlier, which meant it could only be a boat.

And it was coming closer and closer, and soon it would be over them, and… Magnus had to contact the boat. But how would he make them see him in the pouring rain? He didn't have a chance. But he'd come this far, he refused to give up. He needed a way to be heard over the storm, over the thunder and the pouring rain and the constant waves turning them over again and again. He needed to save Alec. How could he do that? He needed to think, and he needed to do it quickly. The boat was coming closer and closer. Soon it would be past them and Magnus could never catch up with Alec in tow.

What did humans use? Lights and sounds…. Flashlights and whistles. Magnus had neither of those, nor did he think they would work in this weather. So, how would he get their attention? Or what if he just got Alec on the boat? If he got them in the wave and let Alec be washed up on top of the boat? That could work… He had to give it a shot.

Water was harder to control during a storm, but he could manage a single wave…probably, hopefully…. But did he have another option? He had no way of getting their attention.

Magnus waited till the boat was close enough, and then, when it was right next to him, he summoned all his power. The water moved around him, to surround them, and it pulled them up, up till the ships deck, and Magnus pressed his lips to Alec's one last time as they were on their way up, and he ran his hand through Alec's hair as he murmured a few words, and his scales were glowing bright like the sun and Alec's memories were gone. And then he released him on the deck and let himself be pulled back again by the water, and that was it.

He heard voices, yells. Running. Alec was fine. He was safe. Soon he would be back with his siblings and he would be happy. And that was all that mattered.


	6. Back home

Alec woke up on a hard bed. It felt just like his bed in the boat, and he was immediately convinced the night before had all just been a dream. But then he opened his eyes and he didn't recognize anything. The walls were blue. Alec had cleaned the entire boat and he had never seen a blue wall. This wasn't his boat.

He bolted up on the bed and immediately got a terrible ache in his head. He remembered being under water, he remembered trying to swim up, but not knowing what direction that was in… and then… he was here. Now that he looked closer he noticed an IV stand and something that seemed to monitor his heart. This was an infirmary. But it couldn't be, could it?

There had been an infirmary on the other boat, but it had been nothing like this. Nothing at all like this. Alec had no idea where it was, he had no idea how much time had passed.

Alec looked around again. There was no one there. He was connected to a bunch of machines, he couldn't go anywhere. In a movie, he might have ripped the needles out of his hands and gone in search of someone, but he wasn't like that. He looked around yet again and noticed a button by the head of the bed. He pressed it. There was a ding, and a minute later he heard footsteps.

A stranger stepped into the room. Alec looked at them carefully. "Where am I?" he asked, looking up at her. It was a woman. "And who are you? How did I get here?"

"I'm doctor Melang and you are on our boat in the middle of the ocean. An… I was about to ask you that myself, Like I just said, we are in the middle of the ocean and you washed up on our boat two nights ago during a were freezing, almost drowned but you should get better, especially now that you are awake, I am positive that you'll be fine… so for the records, who are you?"

"Two nights? I… my name is Alexander Gideon Lightwood. I was working on a ship called Raziel… there was a storm, two nights ago. The boat… I don't know if it went under or not, but… I must have been driven here…"

"Oh, no. You must be delirious from the salt water. Raziel went under over a month ago. There were no survivors," she said. Alec shook his head.

"No, I'm telling you. I was on the boat, okay? I worked there, I… I'm sure if you call… whoever is in charge of that ship and ask them, they can guarantee you I was there. Two nights ago."

The woman shook her head. "I'm sorry. If you're trying to make a joke, you can stop now. If you really think this is true… just lie down. We will be in New York in two days, we'll get you a doctor."

"I really was on that boat… I was... " he mumbled. He remember getting on the boat, Raziel. He remembered spending weeks at sea, he remembered waking up to a storm and he remembered the water around him… Alec looked up at the woman, who was looking at him with pity in her eyes. He hated that. "I… um. Did I not have… anything? My clothes, at least?" he asked, looking down at the hospital gown he was wearing.

The woman shook her head. "You had some clothes on, but they were all beyond repair, completely ripped. Your boots survived, though," she said. "But you won't be using them, you're not standing up before we're back in the city."

Alec nodded slowly. It made sense that his clothes got ruined in the sea water.

"Oh, and you had a ring on, we put it on your nightstand."

"A ring?" Alec asked, frowning. "I… I don't own any ring," he said. He turned to look at it, it was right there on the nightstand. "That's not mine…" he said.

"Well you had it on so… I'd say now it is yours. We just had to take it off as we checked you for injuries. I have to say that you were sort of lucky that you didn't break any bones. And you washed up with us just in time. Any longer and you would have drowned or frozen to death so… you were lucky to end up here. Once we reach New York you'll be transported to a hospital by the police. I mean we will make sure you'll be okay but we have no idea who you are so you'll obviously be taken into custody of the police until your identity can be confirmed."

"I told you, my name is Alexander Lightwood. You can… search up my sister's facebook, Isabelle Lightwood. I'm on there, that's surely all the proof you need!"

"There is no need to shout, especially in your condition. Calm down, this is just standard procedure, but I'll give your name to them and they will contact your sister so she can be there when we get on land and once she confirmed everything you'll be left alone again. This should take 2 hours max and you are not treated like a criminal, so don't worry." she said calmly.

How was he supposed to not worry? How was he supposed to stay calm with everything going on? He was… apparently it was a month since his ship had gone under, and… and he'd just washed up two days ago. How had he survived a month out in the ocean? Alec tried to remember anything at all, anything that could make sense, but there was nothing. Only numb darkness after he passed out deep in the water.

The next days went over quickly, probably due to his medication. Soon they brought the ship into the docks, and Alec was escorted off. He was sitting in a wheelchair, wrapped in blankets. A police officer led him to the waiting ambulance which would get him into a hospital where he was supposed to stay until he felt better.

Alec didn't care that much about this, he just hoped to see his family.

He'd been told Izzy would be there the second he got on land, but she wasn't. Had she not wanted to come? Or had it all been a lie? Alec didn't know what to think…

He started to worry but then he heard her and he turned his head.

"Alec!" she shouted and ran over. It felt like the weight off the world fell off of Alecs shoulder the moment she hugged him. He closed his eyes and leaned into her. "Izzy… It's so good to see you again" he hummed.

"Oh my god you really are alive, we thought we've lost you… hey, I'll be right back. I just need to confirm it's you but.. I brought Jace so you won't be alone. He will get to the hospital with you and I'll follow as soon as I can, you understand? Oh Alec… you're alive..." She gave Alec a tight hug and kissed his cheek before she moved aside and let Jace take her spot.

Alec hugged Jace tightly as Izzy left. He still didn't understand the whole thing… how could he have been gone for an entire month if he only remembered passing out underwater, and then waking up on that boat again… it made no sense to him, he didn't know what to think of it.

"I'm so sorry I took so long… It wasn't on purpose. I promise I would have tried coming back to you if I could, if I had known…"

"It's okay, Alec. None of this was your fault, okay? We don't blame you. We're just so happy that you're back," he said, hugging him tightly again. "Now we should get you to the hospital, make sure you're really okay."

"I'm not going anywhere, Jace. I promise. I'm never leaving you again." Jace went to pull back, but Alec grabbed his hand. "Jace, I need to ask you something. While… If I was gone for so long… how did you pay for the apartment? For college?" he asked, worry filling his eyes. He hadn't been the only income to pay for their apartment and both his siblings' college, but he had been their main source. That was why he'd taken this job. He'd only finished high school, a janitor job was the best he managed to get. But it paid much better to be on the boat, which was why he had ended up there. Now… he wondered if his siblings had gone back to his parents. He wouldn't blame them if they did, they needed to survive. And Maryse and Robert had nothing against them anyway, they just didn't want anything to do with Alec.

"Well they still paid you or us when the boat went missing and… I got a different job, we both still went to college but we both work now. It's okay. It works out, it's just a bit more but we took it… that was actually the easier part. We thought we lost you, Alec."

"You didn't. I promise. I'm here. I promise I'm never leaving again. Okay? I promise."

Jace nodded. "Okay. I believe you, Alec. But I'm keeping an eye on you from now on."

Alec managed a small smile. "I never thought you'd be the protective one," he said teasingly.

"I had to become one… I mean Izzy is actually even more protecting but yeah… I still grew up, when we lost you"

"I'm sorry I put you through that. I mean, it's about time you grew up, but… not like that." Alec sighed and squeezed Jace's hand. "I want everything to go back to how it was before, okay? Let's just… pretend none of this ever happened."

"I can try, but good luck convincing Izzy. She'll never let you out of her sight again. She was so worried…"

"I know, I know. I'm never going on a boat again."

"You're right, you better don't. I mean anything can happen everywhere but still… never on a boat again for you."

Alec smiled. He didn't reply, he didn't need to. He was back home, back with his siblings who loved him, and who he loved just as much. It didn't matter that he'd somehow been gone for a month, or that his parents hadn't been bothered to even call to check up on him. All that mattered was that he was back home.

* * *

**1 year later**

* * *

Alec walked home from work. As soon as he'd been allowed to leave the hospital he had gone on a job hunt, luckily he'd found a cafe in his neighborhood that was hiring and immediately took it.

Izzy and Jace both still had their jobs, and together they managed to pay for their rented apartment, and for their education, and still had some money to spare. They were still debating how to use it, but had mostly settled on going on a big vacation together, once they'd saved up enough. Alec was looking forward to it, to spend time with Izzy and Jace without having to worry about work or anything else.

Despite being in the neighborhood, the cafe was still a bit away, but Alec liked to walk. He'd follow the river, look out over it, and he'd play with the ring on his finger.

He still didn't know where it'd come from, but having it on was… comforting. It only fit on his pinky, so it couldn't be his, but the woman on the boat said he'd had it on him. Alec liked to have it on. He liked to look out at the water and play with it.

He'd slept with it on sometimes, and it had made him have the weirdest dreams… it had to be a coincidence, of course, but he'd never dreamt like that after he started taking it off. Izzy had joked that it was a magic ring. Alec had rolled his eyes at her.

And yet, a year after, it still felt like someone was looking after him as soon as he put it on. He He got a weird feeling when he wore it, he felt safe. And he felt drawn to… something. He couldn't quite place what. But that safe feeling was worth the longing.

Alec couldn't stop looking at the water, whenever he was by the river. Sometimes he'd sit on a bench and stare at it for hours, until he got a worried phone call from Izzy and hurried home.

This time, as Alec settled down on a bench to look over the water, he turned the ring around on his finger, and as he looked down at the water, he… saw something.

He told himself it was just his imagination, and as he looked closer, it was gone. There was nothing there.

He leaned back on the bench and closed his eyes. There was nothing there. Nothing at all. He opened his eyes again to check. Nothing. So why did he keep looking? He felt like he was waiting for something.

Alec looked up again and noticed someone had settled down next to him. He tried not to look, he didn't want to be rude, but just like he felt drawn to the water, he felt drawn to this person. Alec stole a glance. And then another. Until he felt himself forced to turn his head and look at him fully. And… and something was pulling at his mind, something he couldn't place. Something he couldn't remember. It felt almost like a small headache was building up before it exploded in his mind.

"Shit. Magnus, oh my god…" He stood up, never taking his eyes off him. Images flashed before his eyes. Him on a beach, right after he'd been washed up. Magnus taking him to the cabin, them sleeping in the same bed, Magnus showing him how to hunt, how to find food. He remembered the cabin, carrying Magnus out of the flames. He remembered spending days building it, so focused he completely ignored Magnus. He remembered his feelings for him, the love and affection. And he remembered…

Alec felt like he stood there for a month, seeing the whole time flash by his eyes as he remembered. He was going crazy, he had to be. But… Alec blinked. He was leaning against the bench, like he had almost fallen over. Alec straightened himself. He looked at Magnus. He tried to make sense of what had just happened, of what he'd just remembered…

"I don't understand. I… why did I not…?" He stuttered, not even capable of putting together a sentence.

"I'll explain everything, Alexander. I promise, just… calm down." Alec stared at Magnus, unable to look away.

"I...We, and then… you died… how can… Magnus-"

"I'll explain everything, Alexander, I promise." Magnus took Alec's hand to pull him along. "Is there anyone at your place right now? Your siblings?" Alec shook his head.

"No… they're both in college right now," he said.

"Do you have a bathtub?" Magnus asked. Alec frowned.

"Um. Yeah, we do…" he said. "Um. Why?"

"I'll show you, okay? I promise. Everything will make sense. As much sense as it can, anyway…"

"I just don't understand… how come I didn't remember anything, and now I do? It… it makes no sense."

"I know. I'll explain it, I think it's easier to show you, or you wont believe me. Just trust me this once, for a little bit."

"Of course I trust you, Magnus… more than I trust anyone. You saved my life."

"Then, please, take me to your apartment. I'll show you everything."

Alec nodded. "Okay. Follow me." He gave Magnus's hand a light squeeze and started walking towards his apartment. Still, he couldn't make his mind stop racing. Five minutes ago, he hadn't known Magnus. Five minutes ago, it had still been a mystery, what had happened between the sinking of Raziel and him being found. And now he remembered. The island, Magnus.

Magnus, who had died. Magnus, who had drowned, right in front of him. Who'd swam out to the deep and sunk down and disappeared. Magnus, who'd promised they had all the time in the world and then left…

It took about ten minutes to get back to the apartment. Alec led Magnus inside and Magnus immediately made his way to the bathroom. "A pool would be ideal, but since we don't have any of that here, the tub will do."  
"Will do for what? Magnus, what's going on?" Alec questioned, confused.

"I'll show you," Magnus assured him. "I just need some water first." He started filling the tub.

"So I just need to stand here and wait? Could you maybe start to explain things?"

"I really don't think there's much that I can explain before I show you. I doubt you would believe me if I did."

"Hm… I really hope the explanation is good, you know?"

"It is, Alexander. I promise, everything will make as much sense as it can once I tell you everything." The tub started filling up and Magnus pulled off his shirt, and then his pants, so he was left only in underwear.

"I feel like you're just here to use my tub," Alec said.

"Well, it might look like that. But I'm not, I promise."

"Good because your looks won't save you if your explanation is bad."

"What will you do if it is?"

Alec shrugged. "I don't know. Something, probably. I don't know if… if I can forgive you. After everything."

Magnus nodded. "I understand that, and I even understand it if you can't forgive me even though my explanation is good and makes sense. I mean it is very unbelievable but that's why I am going to show you this"

"Show me what exactly?" Alec asked, still not understanding what Magnus was doing. Magnus stopped the water, the tub was already full.

"This." He stepped into the water and sat down, and as he did, he started glowing. Alec blinked, thinking this was some kind of trick his mind was playing on him. Magnus was actually glowing, he was… changing.

"What the hell?" Alec frowned, taking a step back. His eyes couldn't focus on it, he couldn't look at it properly. It was just a glowing… mass. And it was changing, writhing, Alec couldn't explain what he was seeing.

"It's okay, Alexander. Don't be scared, it's not dangerous," Magnus said. Alec barely heard him. He couldn't pull his eyes away from the… the tail? Alec wasn't even sure what it was.

"Can you listen to me, Alexander?" Magnus sat up. "I want to explain everything."

Alec tore his eyes away and forced himself to look up at Magnus. At his face. "Talk, then."

"Okay, so… as you can see, I'm not human. I'm a merman. And there are more like me, mermen and mermaids and just merpeople… And we… we hide ourselves from the humans with something we call a glamour. A glamour is a… a kind of force field around the place that we want to hide, so that humans can't see in there with their… submarines and their drones and… whatever. Anyway, this glamour… it takes a lot of energy to maintain. So, every ten years, we have this… tradition. We take people from shipwrecks and put them on an island with one of us." Magnus stopped for a moment, looking up at Alec. Alec looked away, he couldn't look him in the eyes. He felt like he knew where this was going, and… he didn't want it.

"Ten people are picked to participate," Magnus said. "There are three trials over the course of one month, and as people die… their energy goes over to the glamour. Those islands are all glamoured, there are dozens of islands like that and under each one is a… a section of our city, you understand? And so, when someone dies on the island, their energy is automatically soaked up by the glamour.

"The final sacrifice is the one who lasts the longest, the one who's left when everyone else is dead. That last one is taken to the center of the city, to a special stone. When someone dies on that stone, their energy goes right into the core of the glamour and… that's just enough to keep it up for another ten years, until the next time." Magnus fell silent as he finished talking. He was still trying to make Alec look at him, but Alec stubbornly refused.

This was all crazy. Magnus was crazy, and Alec was crazy, and they all needed serious help. Alec knew that much. And still… "But… but if I'm a sacrifice… why am I not dead? Why am I here?"

"Well… you trying to leave after I supposedly died wasn't part of the plan. So I used that to… to sneak you away from everything. Because I really did care for you, Alexander. Even though I really shouldn't, I fell in love with you. And I couldn't bear to watch you die."

"You… you made me believe you were dead. I mourned you."

"It was all part of the trials. I swear, I didn't want to put you through that."

"You could have told me, you know?"

Magnus shook his head. "You wouldn't have believed me. And if you did, you would have hated me for taking you away from your family. Even if it means I saved your life… I also almost killed you."

Alec nodded slowly. "Get out of the tub, Magnus. Out of the house, please." Alec needed time to think he needed to process this. Magnus was a merman and he'd made Alec a part of a… crazy sacrifice ritual. And he'd lied to him and… he made Alec fall in love with him, he made Alec accept that this would be his life, he made Alec excited for it. And then he left.

Alec just needed a moment to catch up with everything.

Alec didn't say around to see how Magnus would react. He turned, he left. He needed time and space, he needed to process everything.

A few minutes later, he heard the door close.

* * *

Magnus had spent months watching Alec from the river, making sure he was okay and telling himself he did the right thing. The memory spell was very fragile, it could break easily if Alec saw anything that reminded him of the time he'd forgotten, so Magnus had to make sure he was never seen. He'd gone on land a few times, but he'd always kept a safe distance. Up until today.

Magnus didn't know what he'd been thinking, it was stupid, he knew it… This was against every rule, and what did he expect it to bring? Alec would never love him now, now that he knew the truth. He would hate him now, he'd probably never want to see him again.

Magnus just had to hope that he'd understand… even if it took some time, he just had to understand. If not… well, Magnus would understand. He wasn't sure if he would have forgiven himself. He just knew he would wait, no matter how long it took, even if it never happened.

He loved Alec with all his heart, and he refused to give up on them.

Even if Alec did.

* * *

Alec waited a few minutes after Magnus had left before he went out to the bathroom. Magnus had left everything clean, spotless. And on top of the sink, there was a note. Alec had been expecting maybe a phone number, although now that he thought about it, why would Magnus have a phone? It just said At the same bench. I'll be there.

He didn't know what Magnus was expecting him to do, to think. They'd spend so much time together, and Magnus had… Magnus was going to kill him. He'd been ready to kill him for… for some kind of weird ritual. And he was a merman. Magnus… had a tail. And he could breathe underwater. And when he'd disappeared into the water and Alec thought he'd drowned … he didn't really drown. He he'd just been fooling Alec. And now… after a year, he expected to come back and everything would be fine?

Alec sat down with a sigh. He should be mad at Magnus, he wanted to be mad. He had every right to be mad and yet… all he felt was longing. He'd come to care about Magnus more than he cared about himself. It was fine when he did not remember. He'd always felt a longing, an ache, but he could never place it. He'd always dismissed it as something he was imagining. But now that he remembered, he couldn't deny the pain, the longing. He couldn't deny how much he missed Magnus, how much he loved him.

Alec wished he could talk to someone. Izzy had always managed to give him good advice. But how would he tell her this? He ran a hand through his hair and leaned back, his head hitting the wall. He felt stupid, betrayed, heartbroken…a part of him had already forgiven Magnus and wanted nothing more than to run after him, but the other part of him was angry. Magnus had lied to him for weeks, he'd betrayed him. How was Alec supposed to know if everything that happened was even real? It could all have been a part of Magnus's act.

Alec crumpled the paper in his first. It didn't matter. He had work to do, he couldn't let this distract him. He needed to stay focused on his work, on his siblings. He was on the verge of a promotion and while they weren't exactly poor, they were pretty strapped for cash. This could be the raise they needed and Alec couldn't slack off now. Magnus didn't matter, Magnus didn't change anything. Alec had lived a year without him. He didn't need him.

Alec kept telling himself that, every morning, every evening, every hour. He knew he was grumpy and his siblings kept asking him what was going on, but he couldn't tell them, didn't know how to explain it all. He began to understand Magnus, too. Magnus had been doing it for his city, his people. Alec had said plenty of times he'd kill for his siblings and it wasn't all lies. If something threatened New York, Alec would do everything he could to protect his home. And that was all Magnus was doing, protecting his home.

Alec had spent the past week avoiding the river. He found other routes to get to work, he went straight home, he even strayed away from ponds and lakes on his daily jog through central park.

But after a week, he walked by the river again after work. And he had the ring on, and he felt it pulling him towards the water and he sat down on the bench. On that same bench. He'd had time to think and process, he'd had time to be angry, and sad, and confused. Now… he just wanted Magnus back.

Alec didn't know what to expect, but he watched the water and then sat down on the bench. He was prepared to wait a bit, but he didn't have to. A minute after he'd sat down, he could feel someone sit down next to him and Alec had to smile. He just knew it was Magnus.

Alec talked before Magnus could say anything, before he could catch Alec off guard. "Listen, Magnus. I've taken some time to think about it, and… I haven't forgiven you. Not entirely. But I understand. I knew you were doing what you had to do. And… I want you back. I need you in my life, Magnus. Even before I remembered, I always felt this longing and now I know what I was longing for. I can't live without you."

Magnus was quiet for a moment, and then Alec felt him shuffle closer and Magus's head came to rest on his shoulder. "I need you, too, Alexander. I've missed you so much this past year… the only thing that kept me going was that I knew you were alive, and I knew you were happy. That was all I wanted for you."

"I was alive but I wasn't happy… I always knew something was missing…" he mumbled.

Magnus sighed. "I'm sorry I had to leave. I'm sorry I trapped you on that island in the first place, but… at the same time, I'm happy I did. I wouldn't have met you otherwise. And you would have been dead."

Magnus pulled back a bit. He cupped Alec's cheek and turned his head. Alec couldn't believe how much he'd missed looking into Magnus's eyes. "I can't live above water, Alexander. Not forever. I can stay over maybe a few weeks, a month, maybe, but not forever."

"I can't move right now… how deep do you need to be inside the water? Would this river be enough? Or is this… going to turn into something like a long distance relationship where we see each other once a month for a week before you disappear again?"

Magnus sighed. "I'm not sure, Alexander. This river might be enough for… maybe two or three months, but… it's polluted and small and surrounded by people. I need a big, open ocean. A bay could work… there's a bay in New York. It opens up to the ocean and I could be fine with just swimming to the deep for maybe a day or two a month…

"I… I get that. But New York is a huge city and I don't live anywhere near the bay. And even if I did… I mean, how does this work? Do you have a passport, an identity? Could you get a job, a house? You're not human, you don't exist in this world…"

"We have a… a kind of magic. Like the glamour, thats one kind of magic. We can make people see things that aren't really there, we can… influence minds of people like you to make them believe whatever we say. I could get an identity, get a job, a house. And we could be together. I could even… if you want, I could use my magic to get us a house. Us, and your siblings, we could all get a house by the bay, or somewhere else by the beach, it wouldn't cost us anything."

Alec shook his head. "No, Magnus. No magic. I want to achieve things on my own, I want to be proud of them and I want to make it because I can, not because… because of some magic. It'll take time, but I'll get it. I'll get us somewhere nice. With water. It'll just take some time."

"If that's what you want, I'm the most patient man alive. As long as you want. I'll always be here."

* * *

**5 years later**

* * *

"Magnus!" Alec called as he walked down the few steps to the shore beneath the house. The past few years had been wild. After that promotion Alec kept working and working, happy and motivated because Magnus was always there, reminding him of his goal, of what he needed to achieve. Even if they didn't see each other all the time, the few dinners a month, the walks they took together every once in a while, they had kept Alec focused. He wanted to live a life where he could be with Magnus, always.

In the last five years, he had saved and saved and saved, and he'd stepped up the career ladder like crazy, always working harder and harder. He'd introduced his siblings to Magnus, as his new boyfriend. They hadn't told them everything, but it would come. Maybe. Some day.

"Hello, handsome," Magnus hummed as he came out of the water and sat down on the edge, his tail glowing as it slowly shifted into legs..

"Come on, Magnus. Izzy and Jace will be here in twenty minutes and you need to get dressed."

Magnus grabbed Alec's hand and pulled him down so they were sitting next to each other. "They're always late, you know that. Let's stay here five minutes, at least?" He pecked Alec's lips. Alec smiled.

"You know I can never say no to you…"

"Great!" Magnus grinned and leaned his head against Alec's shoulder. Alec didn't even care that his shirt got wet.

They sat there for way more than five minutes, just enjoying the view and each other's company. It wasn't before they heard the doorbell ring that Alec had to get up in a hurry to go open up, and Magnus went to get dressed.

This was their life now. A big house by the shore, a golden ring on their fingers. Alec couldn't have been happier.

Despite all the lies in their past, despite the betrayal and the longing they'd both tried to suppress, life had brought them back together, and they would stay together till death pulled them apart.

**Thanks for reading! I hope you enoyed this story! And have a Merry Christmas/Happy Hannukkah/Happy Holidays!**


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